Can '4th Quarter Soccer' Solve the Problem of World Cup Match Quality? [★World Cup Biz ②] [Lee Jong-seong's Sports Culture & Industry]

*This content was translated by AI.

The biggest variable for the success of the 2026 FIFA North American World Cup, which opened on the 12th (Korean time), is 'match quality.' Previously, 32 teams qualified for the World Cup finals, but 48 teams will participate in the North American World Cup. In fact, with eight third-place teams from each group advancing to the Round of 32, there is a high possibility of dull matches even in single-elimination games with no room for a second chance.

In addition, the extreme heat and humidity in the North American region are also cited as factors that could hinder the quality of matches in the North American World Cup. In hot and humid environments, it is difficult to expect the pressing football and fast-paced game tempo that fans desire.

FIFA has also been concerned about this match quality even before the North American World Cup. Match quality was already an issue at the 2022 Qatar World Cup. The Qatar World Cup was a tournament with very few shots per match. The number of shots per match at the Qatar World Cup was 2.5 fewer than the 24.5 shots per match at the 2006 Germany World Cup.

On the 3rd, the British weekly economic magazine 'The Economist' pointed out that "the number of shots per match at the Qatar World Cup was 16% lower than the record for the 2021-2022 English Premier League (EPL)."

The Economist also analyzed that the Qatar World Cup had 17% more fouls than the number of fouls per match in the 2021-2022 EPL. In fact, as many as 18 yellow cards were issued during the Qatar World Cup Round of 16 match between the Netherlands and Argentina.

Of course, the tension of competing for national honor and the issue of physical exhaustion in the World Cup had an impact. However, a more fundamental problem is that so-called weaker teams play 'defensive football that does not lose.'

From FIFA's perspective, greater audience and viewer immersion in World Cup matches can lead to higher revenues. Ultimately, match quality determines the level of audience and viewer immersion. However, considering that the North American World Cup will feature 48 teams, it is difficult to expect high match quality.

This is also the reason why FIFA introduced the hydration break and dynamic ticket pricing for the North American World Cup. These two systems are safety measures that can protect the commercial value of the North American World Cup, where a decline in match quality is expected.

The hydration break, which provides a three-minute break at the 22nd minute of both the first and second halves, is a time for exhausted players to catch their breath. It can reduce the phenomenon of declining match quality due to physical issues.

Above all, the hydration break is valuable time for World Cup broadcasters to air additional advertisements. Generally, an increase in broadcasters' advertising revenue leads to an increase in FIFA's broadcasting rights fees. Furthermore, the hydration break is more meaningful than the halftime break. Since the rest period is short at three minutes, viewers are more likely to focus on advertisements than during halftime.

In the World Cup, the viewership for matches that do not involve the home team is not very high. This means that the number of matches people want to watch is limited. Considering this, the hydration break, which can guarantee more advertising time for matches with high expected viewership, has high commercial value.

Dynamic pricing, where ticket prices change according to demand for match attendance, also needs to be understood in a similar context. Dynamic pricing, which can raise ticket prices for popular matches, is a system that can offset the problems of the North American World Cup, where the increase in participating teams to 48 can lead to a stark difference in fan interest for each match.

Until the previous Qatar tournament, FIFA left World Cup ticket policies to the host country. However, for the North American World Cup, FIFA is managing it directly. This is because it can maximize ticket prices for high-demand matches. In addition, FIFA also generates revenue in the secondary ticket resale market. FIFA collects a 15% fee from both sellers and buyers.

Ticket prices for popular team matches have soared due to dynamic pricing. To watch all three Group League matches of the Brazil team in person, approximately $3,800 (about 5.77 million won) is needed. Fans who want to watch Ronaldo's last dance must also pay $3,700 (about 5.62 million won) to watch Portugal's three Group League matches.

However, the North American World Cup's dynamic pricing has a strong gambling-like nature. World Cup tickets have not yet sold out, and hotel reservation rates in host cities are lower than expected. In addition, in the World Cup ticket resale market, unpopular matches are actually seeing their prices drop. High airfares and consumer prices due to the Iran war are also factors that make it difficult to maximize the effects of dynamic pricing.

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*This content was translated by AI.