FIFA and its president Gianni Infantino are facing a growing crisis just one month before the start of the 2026 World Cup, after failing so far to secure television broadcasting agreements in China and India, two of the world’s largest commercial and population markets.

According to a report published by The Guardian, audiences in both countries still have no confirmed way to watch the tournament’s 104 matches, which will mark the largest World Cup in history.

The report stated that FIFA’s decision to expand the tournament from 32 to 48 teams was driven not only by sporting ambitions, but also by commercial goals aimed at attracting massive markets such as China and India, whose combined population reaches around 2.7 billion people.

The strategy reportedly focused on increasing the chances of qualification for teams from those major markets instead of smaller nations with limited commercial influence and population size.

However, with the tournament approaching, broadcasting rights in two of Asia’s most important markets remain unresolved, creating a major financial and media challenge for FIFA.