TNot only are they looking for a stadium for the final between Spain and Argentina, but they’re also looking to protect a multi-million dollar business. With three weeks to go until the match on March 27, the conflict has forced Qatar to suspend all activity in the country, leaving a financial package in limbo that industry estimates suggest could reach 60 million euros in TV rights fees, management fees and payments to participating teams.
The original plan was for the match to be held as part of the Qatar Football Festival. The Qatar Football Festival was a program of international matches scheduled from March 26 to 31, including the Spain vs. Argentina match, as well as several friendlies. The calendar includes games such as Egypt vs. Saudi Arabia, Qatar vs. Serbia and Spain vs. Egypt on March 30, all of which are part of a global economic agreement funded by the host nation.
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Just by playing in the Finalissima, the Real Espaola de Fútbol Federation (RFEF) and the Argentine Association of Football (AFA) were guaranteed an estimated income of between €6 million and €10 million per team. This figure is in addition to additional friendlies, which typically result in a payout of around 2 million to 4 million per team in this type of tournament.
A big block of the business is in the audiovisual rights and commercial exploitation of the entire festival. Together with TV sales for all matches and advertising and sponsorship deals associated with the event, the value of the package is around €20m or €30m.
many aspects to consider
To this amount must be added the expected logistics costs of travel, accommodation, security and television production for the match, which Qatar envisages as the host, and the expenditure could exceed 10 or 15 million euros. The total number of people attending festivals organized around Finalissima reaches approximately 40 to 60 million people.
This is the economic framework in which we are currently stuck. Finding a new venue for the Spain vs. Argentina match involves more than just choosing a stadium. Any participating country will need to have the same financial support as Qatar on the table to avoid going bankrupt.
