Now it's time for FIFA to count all that money

How did FIFA, football's governing body, turn the 2010 World Cup into the most profitable sports event ever? First of all, it found new sponsors for the tournament. Companies such as Brazilian food-maker Seara, Indian IT firm Mahindra Satyam and the Chinese renewable-energy provider Yingli Solar paid lots of money to make their names as familiar as Messi and Kaka to millions of television viewers worldwide.

"There was a change in the location of sponsors with Asia to the fore," Nigel Currie, director of sports marketing agency BrandRapport, told the Daily Mail.

Then FIFA cut the list of main sponsors from 15 to six — Coca-Cola, Emirates, Sony, Visa, Adidas and Hyundai — with each paying much more for the privilege of its exclusive role. All of them hope that they can make profits in new markets long after the teams and their fans have left South Africa.