Money is the new religion of the world"s sports, everything revolves around it. The World Football Cup generates revenues that exceed the GDP of less developed countries. The amounts are mind-numbing, the South-African Government spent over 11 billion Euros on the organization of the event. Bets all over the world exceed 3 billion Euros, and the International Federation of Association Football will see 2 over 2 billion Euros in its accounts.

Since nobility isn"t cheap, out of this entire business called the World Cup, the organizers are the only ones that will be making a loss. The numbers are simple: you compare all the costs (stadiums plus infrastructure) and all the receipts. The difference could be considered an investment in improving the country"s foreign image. Whereas in 2006, South Africa expected to make approximately 300 million Euros, the costs climbed exponentially, eventually reaching ... 11 billion Euros. This includes every cent spent with the construction of new stadiums and the overhaul of the old ones (1.5 billion Euros), the rebuilding of the highways (8 billion Euros), the overhaul of the airports and hotels (1 billion) plus the money spent on advertising. The first estimate did not include the cost of infrastructure investments. It bears mentioning that Germany spent 9.5 billion Euros for the World Cup of 2006, but the differences in the infrastructure levels of the two countries are obvious. Out of the 11 billion invested, according to some conservative figures, 9.5 billion will be made back. It shouldn"t be forgotten that over the last four years 200,000 jobs have been created in South Africa, a country which had a very high unemployment rate.

* The FIFA will make 50% more than it did in 2006

The machine that includes TV royalties and exclusive endorsements is going like greased lightning, with the earnings of the FIFA