FIFA to rule after Ligue 1+ backs near €20m 2026 World Cup rights bid | OneFootball

FIFA will decide on the 2026 World Cup broadcast after the LFP board approved investment for Ligue 1+.

According to RMC, beIN Sports lodged a higher bid several weeks ago than Ligue 1+’s package, valued at €17m for rights plus €2.5m in production costs.

The Franco-Qatari broadcaster has held discussions with FIFA for months and tabled a financial proposal said to be worth several million euros more than Ligue 1+.

That stance surprised LFP Media, after FIFA had approached Ligue 1+ amid a lack of bids for all 104 matches, with 54 to air free to air on M6. Talks led by LFP Media chief Nicolas de Tavernost produced an agreement, then FIFA drafted and sent a contract to the platform.

On Wednesday the LFP board approved the near €20m outlay for 2026 coverage, and the signed contract was dispatched to FIFA ahead of Saturday 31 January. FIFA acknowledged receipt on Friday morning.

beIN Sports, a World Cup and Euros broadcaster since 2012 and part of beIN Media Group chaired by PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, has mounted its riposte after a period of silence. The sequence has raised eyebrows among industry figures, who question why FIFA sought LFP board approval if a higher beIN bid existed.

After news of the Ligue 1+ offer emerged on Wednesday, voices at beIN Sports derided the logic of a €20m spend on rights with many matches free to air and others overnight. A verdict is pending.

Source: L'Équipe