FIFA is running into increasing trouble heading into the 2026 World Cup, having yet to finalize broadcasting rights in both India and China, one month away from the tournament’s kick-off.
FIFA has doubled the tournament to 48 teams primarily in order to gain global audiences and break into large new markets, but negotiations with both of the Asian powerhouses have ground to a halt, despite a major cut in its asking price for broadcasting rights.
FIFA is believed to have initially asked in the region of $100 million for Indian rights and up to $300 million for China. The price is believed to have been cut by at least 60%, with India’s broadcast rights now expected to go for under $35 million. JioStar is the leading contender and is understood to have bid $20 million, but the deal is not yet finalized.
Shaji Prabhakaran, executive committee member for the Asian Football Confederation, believes the problems stem from cost, rather than the scheduling, despite the fact that many matches are scheduled to be screened in India in the late evening and early morning.
CCTV in China is apparently not interested, either, and has a low offer in the region.
This is a major problem for FIFA president Gianni Infantino, as India and China make up one-third of the world’s population, and it would be a blow to the 2026 World Cup to be without a broadcasting agreement in either territory.
