World Cup finals insured for £6.2bn
As the globe's finest international football teams put in some
last-minute training to help give them the edge in the World Cup, the
sport's governing body and other organisations involved in the
tournament are leaving nothing to chance.
London-based insurance market Lloyd's said the competition in South Africa has been insured for £6.2 billion - and that figure does not even include cover taken out on the hundreds of star players set to grace the pitch.
The mammoth level of cover includes policies taken out by FIFA, the BBC and other media organisations to compensate for any financial loss due to problems with the tournament, such as delays or advertising issues. About £3 billion will be spent on this type of contingency insurance and a similar amount will go on insuring stadiums and training camps used by the teams.
FIFA has also taken out a further £200 million in liability cover to pay out for any injuries sustained while on World Cup sites.
If the estimate were to include insurance against on-the-pitch injuries it would add billions of pounds to the level of cover. Top players are insured for up to £40 million each and there will be more than 500 on show at the month-long finals.