This was enough to nudge FIFA's cycle-ending reserves – its cushion against the threat of postponement of its sole, quadrennial cash cow – to $1.52 billion (£1.02 billion/€1.39 billion), up from $1.43 billion (£960 million/€1.31 billion) at the end of 2013.

Income from the essentially sold-out 3.14 million ticketing programme for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil totalled $476.6 million (£319.9 million/€436.8 million) and was the main factor pushing "other event-related revenue" to $537.4 million (£360.5 million/€492.7 million), more than five times the year-earlier figure.

Revenue from hospitality rights, meanwhile, more than doubled year-on-year to $110.6 million (£74.1 million/€101.2 million), after the programme's "huge success" triggered an additional payment of $61 million (£41 million/€56 million).

This was over and above the $120 million (£80 million/€110 million) over four years for which FIFA granted hospitality rights to the 2014 tournament to Match Hospitality AG.

These items helped to create the space for FIFA to make extraordinary Financial Assistance Programme (FAP) payments of $261.5 million (£174.9 million/€239.3 million) to member associations and confederations without eating into reserves.

FIFA also spent far more than originally expected on its great Brazilian showpiece - $2.22 billion (£1.48 billion/€2.03 billion) versus $1.39 billion (£931 million/€1.27 billion) budgeted in figures published in its 2009 financial report.

Income from the essentially sold-out 3.14 million ticketing programme for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil totalled $476.6 million ©Getty Images



Then again, the initial revenue projection for the 2011-14 cycle was $3.8 billion (£2.5 billion/€3.5 billion), whereas in fact $5.14 billion (£3.45 billion/€4.71 billion) in event-related revenue alone ended up gushing into the coffers.

The biggest chunk of this came from broadcasting rights at $2.48 billion (£1.66 billion/€2.27 billion), with marketing rights contributing a further $1.63 billion (£1.09 billion/€1.49 billion).

The net result for the entire cycle came to $337.4 million (£226.1 million/€308.9 million).

The report also revealed that short-term employee benefits of $39.7 million (£26.6 million/€36.4 million) were paid to key management personnel - an increase of 9.4 per cent from 2013.

In 2012 I was told that there were 37 of these "key" staff members. I suspect their numbers may have edged up since then.

Nonetheless, this implies average benefits of close to $1 million (£670,000/€916,000) each.

Included in the costs of football governance, meanwhile, the new report reveals that costs on legal matters rose to $31.3 million (£21 million/€28.7 million) in 2014.

This compares with just $12.8 million (£8.6 million/€11.7 million) in 2009.

That is an increase of 145 per cent in just five years.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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