Summary of Key Points
In an effort to revive the dwindling interest in football among young people, FIFA has adopted the "Super Bowl" approach—entertainment, commercialization, and prioritizing viewership. This strategy includes expanding the World Cup to include more teams, featuring star-studded halftime shows, and embracing short-video platforms to boost its commercial value. However, this comes at the cost of sacrificing football's inherent purity, universality, and competitive essence. Tickets have become a commodity for the wealthy to display their social status, and players are reduced to "replaceable parts" in a commercial machine. The once-popular football celebrations are being reshaped by capital.
1. Why Learn from the Super Bowl? — A Desperate Need to Attract Attention
Young people today seem less and less patient with football. Real Madrid President Florentino Pérez has stated that 40% of the population aged 16-24 are uninterested in the sport, and if this continues, "football might disappear." FIFA shares this concern; how can they get people to stop and watch a match, even one as short as three minutes?
The Super Bowl provided a solution. In 1993, the halftime show featuring Michael Jackson drew more viewers than the actual game itself, proving that combining sports with entertainment can attract large audiences. FIFA has followed this lead: the 2026 World Cup will expand to 48 teams (104 matches), and it will act as a content platform, providing creators with opportunities to produce 15-second videos and funny highlights. The final halftime show will feature celebrities like Madonna and BTS, using the excitement of a summer carnival to draw young viewers back to the screens.
2. Expansion and Entertainment: Competition Becomes a Vehicle for Traffic
Expanding the tournament to 48 teams means more smaller countries (such as Cape Verde with a population of 600,000) can participate. However, this brings two problems:
1. Overwhelming Audience Volume: With 104 matches in 40 days, not everyone will be able to watch them all, so FIFA relies on "non-competitive content" to attract attention—fans are more interested in halftime shows and celebrities than in tactics or dramatic goals.
2. Diminished Competitive Spirit: The original spirit of the World Cup, which emphasized grassroots participation and tactical strategy, has been overshadowed by the need for viewership. For example, tickets for Cristiano Ronaldo's group stage match were priced higher than Super Bowl tickets, not because of the quality of the game but due to the sentiment of "the last tournament."
Football is no longer just about competition; it resembles a "summer internet celebrity party" with limited availability.
3. Exorbitant Tickets Erode Universality: Football No Longer for Ordinary People
Football was once a sport for the working class. In 19th-century Britain, workers could watch matches for a small fee on weekends, and tickets were passed down within communities, serving as a bond among ordinary people. But now?
The 2026 World Cup final ticket costs $10,000—more than two months' salary for an average American—and four consecutive tickets can sell for up to $2.3 million. This is no longer about watching a match; it's about buying a luxury social asset (often including helicopter transportation and VIP amenities). Ordinary fans can only watch from home, where the ads on screen are more noticeable than the actual game.
The stories of ordinary people celebrating at street bars are fading away amidst these exorbitant prices.
4. Players Become "Replaceable Parts": Intense Schedules Damage the Competitive Essence
More matches mean players face greater physical strain. Stars like Neymar and Simmons have suffered injuries before the tournament, and players like De Bruyne have criticized the dense schedule, calling it inhumane. The FIFPRO (Players' Union) has even sued FIFA, citing increased health risks due to the heavy workload.
What's more concerning is the change in players' mentality. To avoid injury, some players may play lazily during club matches in World Cup years, with their primary concern being not to get hurt rather than winning the game. The essence of football—spiritual competition and passionate confrontation—is giving way to cautious performances.
5. Arrogant Shift: From Preserving Purity to Selling a Commodity
In 1994, FIFA refused to invite Whitney Houston for the halftime show, citing the need to maintain football's purity. In 2026, they actively invite celebrities, turning the World Cup into 104 Super Bowl-like events with the goal of generating $13 billion in revenue (1.7 times that of the Qatar World Cup).
FIFA's arrogance remains unchanged, but its focus has shifted. It once proudly protected the "divine nature" of football—the kind of magic and community spirit that moved ordinary people to tears. Now, it arrogantly treats football as a commodity to sell.
When the World Cup becomes a party for the wealthy and a tool for generating traffic, that pure summer experience that once brought people together despite wars may truly be lost.
The Future of Football
The Super Bowl approach has temporarily increased viewership, but at the cost of losing football's ancient charm independent of capital. If this continues, football might become a mediocre form of entertainment, just another money-making asset. The spiritual connection that once united millions of people could vanish along with the exorbitant tickets in the frenzy of capitalism.
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This translation maintains the structure and tone of the original Chinese analysis, adapting the language to fit financial journalism conventions while preserving the essence of the content.