FIFA has confirmed the World Cup has generated a record $15 billion in total revenues, exceeding earlier forecasts, driven by unusually strong demand for hospitality packages and resold tickets. The milestone comes as organisers simultaneously contend with severe flash flooding in the New York and New Jersey area, which is due to host the final, raising concerns about safety and logistics as international fans arrive for the tournament's climax.

Resale prices have soared to extraordinary levels, with final tickets reportedly changing hands for as much as £500,000, while even the cheapest upper-tier seats are trading at around £7,500. Meanwhile, the flooding battering the host region threatens to disrupt travel and safety arrangements just as the tournament reaches its conclusion, though further details on the scale of disruption have yet to emerge.