FIFA Can’t Miss Its World Cup Media Opportunity With India

BusinessSportsMoneyFIFA Can’t Miss Its World Cup Media Opportunity With IndiaByJohn Cassillo,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. L.A.-based lead analyst at The Measure, covering the data behind sports media topics.Follow AuthorMay 19, 2026, 04:51pm EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.ZURICH, SWITZERLAND - DECEMBER 13: A view of FIFA World Cup 26' Winner Trophy as draw for the 2026 World Cup European qualifiers kicks off in the FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland on December 13, 2024. The opponents of the Turkish National Football Team will be determined. (Photo by Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu via Getty Images)Anadolu via Getty ImagesThe 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup is just weeks away, yet the event does not yet have a media partner in one of the world’s biggest markets for soccer.This week, Reuters’ Aditya Kalra and Munsif Vengattil covered how FIFA officials were on the ground in India to try and finalize a deal. But the two sides are still not aligned on price.At nearly 1.48 billion people, India has the second-largest population in the world. And while the nation has never participated in the World Cup, it still has a fervent soccer audience by size alone.The Reuters piece notes that India accounted for 2.9% of global reach during the 2022 men’s event. India has an even larger footprint, though when it comes to soccer content on another platform: YouTube. A Case For YouTubeOn YouTube, Indian content (created by accounts in India) already outpaces videos in the United States.Data provided to Forbes by Tubular Labs shows that year-to-date, Indian YouTube videos have 100 billion more video views on about 5.4 million more uploads than those in the U.S.Looking at soccer videos specifically since July 1, 2025, Tubular reveals that Indian content also accounts for 3.7% of YouTube views in that stretch. The country’s 11.8 billion soccer vid...