INT 220 | What’s the GOOOAAAAALLLLL?

Your Mission

Follow the money across borders.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup generated business activity through media rights, sponsorship, ticketing, licensing, digital channels, tourism, and local commerce. Your task is to investigate one revenue stream and determine whether the available post-tournament evidence supports what was expected beforehand.

Responsible AI use: AI may help you identify leads, possible sources, or explanations. It is not evidence. Open the original source, verify important numbers, and make the final comparison and verdict yourself.

Step 1

Choose one revenue stream

Select the stream you want to investigate. This is an individual activity.

Broadcasting & Media RightsTelevision, streaming, and international broadcast agreements.

Sponsorship & Commercial PartnershipsGlobal sponsors, brand partnerships, and commercial rights.

Ticketing & HospitalityMatch tickets, premium packages, hospitality, and fan experiences.

Licensing, Merchandise & GamingLicensed goods, apparel, collectibles, gaming, and brand licensing.

Digital RevenueDigital advertising, social partnerships, content, platforms, and fan data.

Host-City & Local-Business RevenueHotels, restaurants, transportation, retail, tourism, and local taxes.

Important distinction: local economic activity is not the same thing as revenue earned directly by FIFA. Your report should identify who actually received the money or experienced the economic effect.

Step 2

Use AI to generate leads—not conclusions

After selecting a stream, use the prompt below with the generative AI tool available to you. Then verify what you find.

Select a revenue stream above to generate your research prompt.

You may adapt the prompt. Do not ask AI to write your final report.

Step 3

Verify with credible sources

Strong starting points

FIFA annual reports, budgets, and financial statements
Official sponsorship, ticketing, and hospitality announcements
Government, tourism, transportation, or host-city reports
Company annual reports, investor materials, and securities filings
Reuters, AP, Bloomberg, Financial Times, WSJ, and credible sports-business reporting

Use caution

AI-generated answers and search summaries
Blogs without source documentation
Promotional claims with no methodology
Undated articles
Numbers repeated by many sites but traceable to no original source

Step 4

Build your revenue audit

Your downloaded report will mirror the sections below. Write in the first person where appropriate; do not use team/we language.

Your name

1. What was projected?

Projected amount or expectationWho made the projection?

2. What was reported?

Reported amount, outcome, or economic activityWho reported it?

3. Projection vs. outcome

How do the two compare?Why might they differ?

4. Your verdict

Did this revenue stream perform as projected?Defend your verdict

5. International-business takeaway

What does this revenue stream reveal about international business?

6. AI accountability

What claim or lead did AI give you that you independently verified?What part of this audit represents your judgment rather than AI's?

7. Sources

Source 1 title / organization

Direct URL

Source 2 title / organization

Direct URL

Optional additional source

Step 5

Download and submit

Run the completion check first. When the required fields are complete, download your report. The file opens in Microsoft Word and should be uploaded manually to the Week 1 Brightspace assignment.