How Fifa Turned $0 Into $13,000,000,000

In 1930, Uruguay hosted the first FIFA World Cup. Teams had to cross the Atlantic by ship, there were no global TV rights, no billion-dollar sponsors, and no modern sports-media industry. In this video, we explore how football transformed from a tournament that needed financial support into one of the world's biggest sports businesses. In this video: ⚽ How the first World Cup was organized in 1930 🚢 Why European teams were reluctant to travel to Uruguay 📻 What football looked like before television and global broadcasting 💰 How FIFA built its modern revenue machine 📺 Why broadcasting rights became the biggest source of revenue 🌎 How globalization transformed football economics 🏟️ Why the 48-team, 104-match 2026 World Cup matters financially 💵 How FIFA distributes hundreds of millions of dollars to participating teams 📈 How football transformed from a tournament that needed financial support into a global commercial powerhouse From $0 to $13 billion — this is the business story behind the world's biggest football tournament. Note: The $13 billion figure refers to FIFA's four-year 2023–2026 revenue cycle, not revenue generated by the 2026 World Cup alone. TIMESTAMPS 0:00 - How FIFA had to beg countries to play 0:45 - Inside the first World Cup (1930) 2:24 - Where the $13 billion actually comes from 4:07 - The $871 million prize pool 4:49 - Why the gap got so big 6:13 - The real story