‘World Cup could earn millions for Welsh grassroots’

Wales could receive more than £10 million from qualifying for the World Cup next year, a significant portion of which would go toward grassroots football.

Noel Mooney, the head of the Football Association of Wales, claims that additional sponsorship bonuses could help pay for improvements to facilities across the nation.

Wales are only three wins away from winning a World Cup in their history, and they are only two wins away from winning it.

Bosnia-Herzegovina will host their play-off semi-final on March 26. If successful, they will face Italy or Northern Ireland in Cardiff five days later in order to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

On Friday, Washington, D.C., will host the World Cup draw.

If they successfully reclaim the play-off spots, it means that next summer, all teams will be aware of who they will face in the group stages in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Before the cost of travel and player and staff salaries, Mooney claimed that Wales’ participation was valued at about $ 10.9 million (£7.9 million).

He continued, “Also you’re looking at sponsorship bonuses and the interest in the association grows around that. You are the subject of sponsorships that have a certain amount.

The FAW has spent $26 million on projects in Wales through its charitable arm, the Cymru Football Foundation, which was founded in October 2022, but Mooney says that’s just ” scratching the surface.”

He continued, “Wales qualified in 2022, which was fantastic for Welsh football.

We donated the $4 million ($3.5 million) that we made from the World Cup and our reserves to the Cymru Football Foundation, which has already helped many clubs in Wales, building stadiums and changing rooms, and so on.

“The most recent World Cup served as a catalyst for what ultimately turned out to be $ 26 million that DCMS [Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport], Welsh Government, local authorities, and the clubs themselves, along with.

Facilities at the grassroots remain a significant issue for Wales, as we’ve already stated in a 10-year plan we’re working on. We have obviously demonstrated our resolve to fight this issue.

The FAW will also be in line for additional revenue when Wales hosts Euro 2028 and the 2035 Women’s World Cup.

We fully anticipate playing in the tournament, which will begin in Cardiff, according to Mooney, “with the way it’s set up with two reserve places.”

From a participation standpoint, it generates about €10 million (£8.75), plus a hosting bonus of some £15,000.

There is no denying that the FAW could potentially receive £7-8 million in net proceeds.

By 2035, our best guess is that because the women’s game is on such a growth trajectory, despite the fact that at the moment the prize money and hosting bonuses are not nearly as high as the men’s ones.