Super Bowl vs FIFA World Cup - The Ultimate Championship Comparison

Every year, the Super Bowl is the biggest sporting event in the U.S. It’s so big that some believe the day after should be a national holiday so everyone can recover properly. But on a global scale, nothing is bigger than the FIFA World Cup, which decides the world champion in soccer. 

It’s often debated which sporting event is bigger, the Super Bowl or the World Cup. Well, we wanted to settle this debate using facts and figures rather than opinions. We wanted to look at everything from the audience to sponsorships to the money involved. Let’s check out our side-by-side comparison of the Super Bowl and the FIFA World Cup.

The Tale of the Tape

2026: The Year America Hosts Both

In 2026, the United States will host both the Super Bowl and serve as one of three co-hosts for the FIFA World Cup. Such an occurrence is almost unprecedented, although the U.S. previously hosted the 1994 World Cup. 

The difference is that the scale of both events is far greater. The Super Bowl has grown exponentially since 1994. Meanwhile, the 1994 World Cup had just 24 teams and 52 total matches. The 2026 World Cup will feature 48 teams, with the United States hosting 78 of the 104 matches.

Of course, many of the stadiums that host NFL games will be hosting World Cup games. This includes Levi’s Stadium, which will host Super Bowl LX on February 8 and then host six World Cup matches during the summer. MetLife Stadium in New Jersey will host the World Cup final on July 19, having previously hosted Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014. AT&T Stadium, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, NRG Stadium, SoFi Stadium, and Hard Rock Stadium are also among the venues that have previously hosted a Super Bowl and will host World Cup matches in 2026.

There is also some controversy surrounding the NFL stadiums being used for the World Cup. To meet FIFA standards, some need to remove the artificial turf that’s used for NFL games and install grass. Also, since these stadiums were built for American football, some need to remove seats to fit the dimensions of a soccer field, which differ from those of American football.

For stadiums and host cities in the U.S., those alterations are worth the economic impact of hosting World Cup games. While the Super Bowl typically generates around $500 million worth of economic activity for host cities, the 104 World Cup matches combined will generate about $5 billion in economic activity. That averages out to $48 million per match, making every World Cup game akin to a mini Super Bowl.

Viewership: Why is the Gap so Massive

It’s hard to compare viewership between the Super Bowl and the World Cup because the Super Bowl is a single event, while the World Cup has dozens of games. Thus, the final match of the 2022 World Cup between France and Argentina received a reported 1.5 billion viewers, meaning roughly 20% of people worldwide watched it. In comparison, Super Bowl LIX between the Chiefs and Eagles earned an audience of 127.7 million people, mostly in the U.S. Keep in mind that the 1.5 billion viewers for the World Cup final is the total number of people who watched at least one minute of action, whereas the Super Bowl’s 127.7 million figure is the average minute audience. 

Either way, both Super Bowl LIX and the 2022 World Cup final were the most-watched games in the history of each event. The caveat is that the World Cup attracts a truly global audience, while interest in the Super Bowl doesn’t extend far beyond the U.S.

The Money: Commercials vs Sponsorship

The Super Bowl and World Cup couldn’t be more different in the way they generate revenue during the game. The Super Bowl is famous for its long commercial breaks. However, companies compete for airtime during such a popular event and pay large sums of money to have a commercial during the game. For Super Bowl LX, a 30-second commercial will cost $8 million.

On the contrary, World Cup matches don’t have commercials outside of halftime because soccer has a running clock. For this reason, the World Cup generates large sums of revenue through global TV deals and sponsorships. Most top-tier sponsors pay at least $70 million during the World Cup cycle, with some global sponsorship fees reaching $100 million, if not more.

Prize Money: What do Winners Get?

It’s well known that players on the winning Super Bowl team get a ring to commemorate the accomplishment. They also get a bonus on top of their yearly salary. For Super Bowl LIX in 2025, each player on the winning Super Bowl team earned $171,000. 

On the other hand, the federation of the winning World Cup team receives the prize money and then decides how much to give each player. In 2022, the Argentine Football Association claimed $42 million in prize money for winning the World Cup and then distributed that money to players, coaches, and other staff who played a role in the tournament. For the 2026 World Cup, the winning nation will take home a $50 million prize.

Cultural Impact: Super Sunday vs The World’s Holiday

As mentioned, some believe that the day after the Super Bowl should be a holiday in the United States because of how the game is treated. Most people attend parties that have an abundance of food and drink, akin to celebrating a holiday. Even those who don’t like football still attend parties or watch the game for the halftime show and the commercials, giving the event mass appeal beyond sports fans.

The World Cup also produces a holiday or festival atmosphere, but in a different way. Rather than a one-day event like the Super Bowl, the World Cup creates a source of national pride for weeks in participating countries. It’s also common for a country to treat days that its team plays a World Cup game like a holiday. This means banks, schools, and other public institutions close, allowing people to watch the game. It’s less about entertainment and more about taking pride in one’s country and supporting the team.

Conclusion: Which is Bigger?

Both the Super Bowl and the World Cup can be considered bigger and better than the other in their own ways. As far as single-day events are concerned, it doesn’t get any bigger than the Super Bowl. In terms of revenue and cultural impact that happens in the span of a few hours, nothing can top the Super Bowl.

However, there is no denying that the World has a far greater global reach. It unites the world and brings out national pride in dozens of countries in ways no other event can. Also, the fact that the last World Cup final was viewed by roughly 20% of the world’s population is a feat that the Super Bowl may never be able to match. This makes the World Cup the biggest sporting event on the planet.