FIFA made a $631 million profit in the four years leading up to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, registering $202 million of that in the last year alone.
The four-year financial cycle showed income of $4.19 billion from broadcast and commercial deals, with 87 percent tied directly to its marquee event, FIFA reported Thursday.
"The World Cup in South Africa was a huge, huge financial success, for Africa, for South Africa and for FIFA," FIFA president Sepp Blatter said, describing himself as "the happiest man today" in announcing the results.
Revenue for soccer's governing body rose 59 percent compared to the four years before the 2006 World Cup in Germany, although that tournament generated a bigger profit of $663 million.
The income easily covered rapidly rising spending of $3.56 billion on administrative costs and development projects from 2007-2010.
