FIFA expecting to generate more than £6billion from World Cup cycle ending in Qatar

The figure, equivalent to around £6.3bn, has been earned primarily from commercial deals - such as the one with Budweiser, who were blocked from selling beer at World Cup stadiums this week - and broadcasting.

The eye-watering sums again underline the commercial value of the World Cup to businesses and broadcasters, and the importance of the competition to FIFA itself.

The figures, which are up by one billion US dollars (£840.9m) compared to the previous cycle, were relayed to national associations at a summit in Doha on the opening day of the World Cup.

They will help to solidify political support for FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who is set to be re-elected unopposed next year.

FIFA sources say 5.4bn US dollars (£4.5bn) goes to cover football activities - including the forward programme which supports national associations and continental confederations and other talent development programmes.

It also covers the other competitions FIFA operates which run at a loss - the Club World Cup, youth tournaments and the 2019 Women's World Cup.

That has yielded a net profit of around one billion US dollars (£840m), with around £252m set aside to support federations through the coronavirus pandemic.

The profit is higher than the previous four-year cycle, owing to reduced staging costs for FIFA and higher sponsorship revenue, including from Qatari businesses.