Infantino defends World Cup ticket prices amid criticism over costs

WASHINGTON: FIFA president Gianni Infantino on Tuesday defended ticket prices for the 2026 World Cup, saying football’s governing body had to operate according to market conditions in the United States, where tickets can legally be resold for sums far above their original price.

FIFA has come under heavy criticism over the cost of attending the tournament. Fan group Football Supporters Europe (FSE) has described the pricing model as extortionate and a monumental betrayal. In March, the organisation filed a case with the European Commission against FIFA over what it called excessive ticket prices for the competition.

The debate intensified after FIFA’s official resale platform, FIFA Marketplace, last week listed four tickets for the July 19 final in New York at more than $2 million each.

Speaking at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, Infantino said those figures were a reflection of demand rather than the original cost of admission.

If some people put on the resale market, some tickets for the final at $2 million, number one it doesn't mean that the tickets cost $2 million.

And number two it doesn't mean that somebody will buy these tickets.

And if somebody buys a ticket for the final for $2 million I will personally bring him a hot dog and a Coke to make sure that he has a great experience.

Supporter groups have also pointed to the gap between prices for the upcoming tournament and those charged at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The highest-priced ticket for the 2022 final was about $1,600 at face value, while the top-priced ticket for the 2026 final is around $11,000 before resale.

Infantino said the sharp rise in face-value prices was justified by the commercial environment in the United States.

We have to look at the market -- we are in the market in which entertainment is the most developed in the world. So we have to apply market rates.

He said that if FIFA set prices too low, tickets would simply be resold at much higher rates.

In the US it is permitted to resell tickets as well. So if you were to sell tickets at the price which is too low, these tickets will be resold at a much higher price.

And as a matter of fact, even though some people are saying that the ticket prices we have are high, they still end up on the resale market at an even higher price, more than double of our price.

Infantino also cited demand figures for the tournament, saying FIFA had received more than 500 million ticket requests for the 2026 World Cup. He contrasted that with fewer than 50 million requests combined for the 2018 and 2022 editions.

According to Infantino, a quarter of group-stage tickets were priced below $300.

You cannot go to watch in the US a college game, not even speaking about a top professional game of a certain level, for less than $300.

And this is the World Cup.

Fan criticism and legal challenge

The pricing issue has become one of the main flashpoints ahead of the 2026 tournament, with FSE’s complaint to the European Commission focusing on what it says are excessive costs for supporters. FIFA, however, has maintained that its pricing reflects both demand and the realities of the US sports and entertainment market.

The 2026 World Cup will be staged in the United States, Canada and Mexico, with the final scheduled for July 19 in New York.