Naija & Western gistNews · Celebs · Trends

Trend Naija

Home › Sport

Sport
Reported

FIFA reportedly made $5bn from 2026 World Cup tickets and hospitality

MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, which hosted the 2026 World Cup final
Stock image: Thecoolone1223 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0

FIFA reportedly earned about $5 billion from ticket sales and hospitality at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, far more than its original estimate and around five times what it made in Qatar four years ago.

The figures

According to a report in a British newspaper, the $5 billion figure compares with an earlier FIFA estimate of $3.3 billion for the same revenue stream. Total revenue from the tournament is put at about $15 billion. Qatar 2022 reportedly brought in $929 million from tickets and hospitality. The 2026 tournament had 40 more matches because of the expanded 48-team format, but much of the increase is said to come from higher prices and dynamic pricing, where ticket costs rise with demand. FIFA's resale platform also reportedly takes a 30 per cent cut of resold tickets.

Criticism

Fan groups have described the prices as extortionate and scandalous. Football Supporters Europe called them a monumental betrayal of fans, many of whom also faced high travel and hotel costs in North America.

FIFA's response

FIFA has not officially confirmed the $5 billion figure. A spokesperson said more than 100,000 of the 6.81 million tickets were sold at $60, including more than 1,000 for the final. The spokesperson said the money would be reinvested in football, including support for its 211 member associations, and that official revenue figures would appear in its annual report after audits. FIFA also plans to raise funding for member associations to $6.35 billion for 2027 to 2030.

Why it matters

The figures are likely to add to debate over the cost of attending major tournaments, with fan groups already pressing for price caps at future World Cups.

More gist

SportReported
Vincent Kompany waving to fans
Photo: Mike Serigrapher / Flickr, CC BY 2.0

Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany discharged from hospital after collapse

Vincent Kompany has left hospital after collapsing at Bayern Munich's training ground. The club says he suffered meningeal irritation and will rest and take medication, with no date set for his return to the touchline.

Read more

Bayern Munich head coach Vincent Kompany was discharged from hospital on Wednesday, 28 October 2026, days after he collapsed at the club's training ground. The club said he will now rest at home before returning to work.

What happened

Kompany collapsed on Friday while watching a second-team training session. Bayern later said the cause was meningeal irritation, an inflammation of the membranes around the brain. Earlier that week he had skipped media duties before the Champions League match against Arsenal because of a viral infection, although he was in the dugout for the 2-2 draw.

What the club said

Sporting director Max Eberl described the discharge as the best possible news for everyone at the club. He said Kompany would rest and take medication and expressed confidence that the coach would return at full strength. Assistant coach Aaron Danks confirmed that Kompany would only return after receiving medical clearance and said there was no fixed timescale. In his absence, the coaching staff led the team to a 6-1 win over Magdeburg in the German Cup.

Background

Kompany, a former Manchester City captain and Belgium international, took charge of Bayern in 2024 after spells as manager of Anderlecht and Burnley. He led the club back to the Bundesliga title in his first season and remains popular with players and fans.

How fans reacted

Messages of support poured in from around football after news of the collapse broke, with former teammates and rival clubs wishing him a full recovery. Fans welcomed the update on Wednesday but urged the club not to rush him back.

Creators & podcastsReported
Side-by-side photos: VeryDarkMan holding a Ratel power station next to a TV, laptop and fridge, and Blord demonstrating his own power unit with a laptop
Image: social media

Blord vs VDM: who is fooling who? Blord claims his power station can run a fridge, fan, TV and treadmill for 12 hours

A day after VeryDarkMan's Ratel power station ran a TV, fan and fridge for 5 hours 17 minutes in his test, Blord has claimed his 1,000W unit can run a big fridge, an industrial fan, a TV and a treadmill for 12 hours. Nigerians are asking him to back it up with a full, uninterrupted test and to show its battery capacity.

Read more

Barely 24 hours after VeryDarkMan demonstrated the performance of his Ratel power station, Blord has come out with his own claims, and Nigerians are already raising serious questions.

According to Blord, his 1,000W-rated power station can power a big refrigerator, a 128W industrial fan, a television and even a treadmill for 12 solid hours!

Wait a minute! How is that possible?

VDM tested his 1,200W-rated power station, and it lasted 5 hours and 17 minutes under the conditions of his demonstration.

Now Blord is claiming his 1,000W unit can run all those appliances for 12 hours, without showing a complete, uninterrupted test to back up the claim.

Blord, Nigerians need evidence, not just words!

However, there is something important here. A power station's watt rating tells us how much power it can deliver at once, while its battery capacity, measured in watt-hours (Wh), determines how long it can run appliances. So battery life cannot be judged from the 1,000W and 1,200W ratings alone.

Blord, show us the battery capacity, connect all those appliances and let the test run for 12 hours. No editing, no shortcuts!

VDM has shown his demonstration. Nigerians are waiting to see yours.

Do you believe Blord's 12-hour claim, or should he prove it with a proper live test?

Nollywood & celebs
A judge's gavel on a courtroom bench
Stock image: Joe Gratz / Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Doris Ogala remanded in Lagos ahead of bail hearing as Sowore condemns detention

Nollywood actress and Abia governorship candidate Doris Ogala has been remanded in a Lagos correctional centre after being arraigned over a complaint filed by Pastor Chris Okafor. Her bail application is due to be heard on Friday. Activist Omoyele Sowore has described the remand as an abuse of state power.

Read more

Nollywood actress Doris Ogala, who is the African Action Congress (AAC) candidate for governor of Abia State in 2027, has been remanded in a correctional centre in Lagos after appearing in court on Wednesday, 28 October 2026. Her application for bail is listed for hearing on Friday, 30 October.

What happened

Ogala was arraigned before a Federal High Court in Lagos on three counts linked to a complaint by the cleric Pastor Chris Okafor. The charges relate to the alleged publication of photographs, the alleged spreading of false electronic messages and alleged threats against the pastor. She has not been convicted of anything, and the allegations are yet to be tested at trial.

News of the remand first spread on Wednesday afternoon, when comedian Deeone shared it online. Reports differ on which Lagos facility she was taken to. Before she was led away, Ogala posted a short video from the courtroom in which she described the case as a political move aimed at stopping her governorship bid. Clips of the moment she was taken out of court were shared widely on Thursday.

Background

The dispute between Ogala and Okafor has played out on social media for months. It reportedly began after the pastor announced plans to marry another woman, which led Ogala to criticise him publicly. She has since spoken several times about their past relationship. In another video from court, she was also heard telling the judge that her former partner was using the law against her.

How people reacted

Human rights activist and politician Omoyele Sowore condemned the remand in a Facebook post, calling it an abuse of power. He accused the police of repeatedly using the Cybercrimes Act to shield powerful people, argued that what he called a private quarrel should not have become a criminal case, and urged the courts to stay impartial. He also said her rights as a candidate must be protected. Online, fans were divided, with some backing the actress and others saying she should answer the charges in court.

What happens next

All eyes are now on Friday's bail hearing in Lagos. Her party has not yet said how the case will affect her campaign in Abia.

Politics
President Bola Tinubu
Photo: Nosa Asemota / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Tinubu leaves for Umrah in Makkah as Atiku and Sowore question the trip

President Bola Tinubu departed Abuja on Thursday for Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah and pray for Nigeria, the Presidency says. Atiku Abubakar's campaign has demanded proof of his daily activities there, while a presidential aide dismissed Omoyele Sowore's claim that the trip is for medical treatment.

Read more

President Bola Tinubu left Abuja on Thursday, 29 October 2026, for Makkah in Saudi Arabia, where the Presidency says he will perform Umrah, the lesser Islamic pilgrimage. The trip has quickly become the latest flashpoint in the race for the 2027 presidential election.

What the Presidency said

Announcing the journey, the President's adviser on information and strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the visit was for spiritual reflection and prayers for Nigeria's peace, unity and progress. Before leaving, Tinubu was scheduled to commission new equipment for the Nigerian Air Force at the Presidential Wing of the Abuja airport. No return date was announced.

Atiku's demands

In a statement issued on Wednesday by Phrank Shaibu, communications director of the ADC presidential campaign, Atiku Abubakar claimed to have information that the President's real destination after a brief stop in Makkah was France. He asked the Presidency to publish daily proof of Tinubu's presence at the holy sites, to say whether the trip was linked to his health, to release the full itinerary and to explain how the journey was being paid for. The statement also raised questions about a reported loan request. Atiku said he would join other Nigerians in praying for the country but insisted the questions be answered.

Sowore's claim and the reply

Activist Omoyele Sowore also claimed the President was travelling for medical care. Responding on X on Thursday, Tinubu's aide on social media, Olusegun Dada, rejected the claim. He pointed to the President's recent schedule, including the flag-off of his re-election campaign in Kaduna, meetings at the State House and a Federal Executive Council meeting, and said a sick man could not keep such a programme. Dada added that Tinubu made similar trips before the APC primary and the general election in 2022.

What happens next

The opposition is expected to keep pressing for details while the President is away, and the Presidency has not said when he will return to Abuja.