It was, but within reason.

Currently they are just milking the spectacle. Maybe in the future all countries will be allowed (no-playoffs) and together with sky high ticket prices, this will ensure the maximum payoff

Of course it was; but it's also a valid observation that the capitalist aspect has jumped the shark. Qatar was my shark, but I was also dismayed by the South Africa finals, when the organizers banned private street food vendors near the venues, because they supposedly competed with Official World Cup Sponsors. Those vendors had always done business in those locations. More to the point of this story, tickets to live events in general have become exclusionary to anyone who is not wealthy, and now those live events also have become difficult to find on the air.