In a small handful of countries—Argentina, Spain, Cape Verde—this World Cup will be remembered for its heroics on the field. But most everywhere else, the lasting impact will be a series of changes that FIFA implemented, including several that could extend beyond soccer.
FIFA has a history of introducing new concepts at World Cups, including adding red and yellow cards to the game in 1970. Front Office Sports spoke to several soccer and industry experts about which changes will be as durable as cards and which will go the way of the Golden Goal.
Ticketing
Before the World Cup kicked off six weeks ago, one of the biggest storylines was how FIFA would possibly fill these enormous stadiums at such exorbitant prices.
Chalk that one up to American ignorance of the size, passion, and wealth of soccer’s global fanbases. Although small patches of empty seats were sometimes visible, the reality largely matched FIFA’s official narrative. The organizers said that as of last week, more than six million tickets had been sold, and stadiums were operating above 99% capacity.
