FIFA president Gianni Infantino defended the high prices of 2026 World Cup tickets, both in the original sale and in resale, stating that they respond to the particularities of the entertainment market in the United States.
This Tuesday, during his appearance at the Milken Institute Global Conference, Infantino said that this type of astronomical demand reflects the expectation generated by the World Cup. “If some people put some tickets for the final on the resale market at two million dollars, first of all, that does not mean that the tickets cost two million,” Infantino said. “And secondly, it does not mean that someone is going to buy those tickets.”
“And if someone does, I will personally bring them a hot dog and a Coca-Cola to make sure they have a great experience,” Infantino said, but he also made it clear that the market must be analyzed. “We have to look at the market. We are in the market with the most developed entertainment in the world. So we have to apply market rates,” Infantino said.
The comparison with other sports by Infantino
Connecting with the statement about looking at the market, he referenced groups of fans who have also protested the cost differences compared to the previous World Cup in Qatar 2022, where final tickets were priced at $1,600 in official sales, compared to around $11,000 in 2026.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino speaks to the press.
Infantino also recalled that FIFA received more than 500 million ticket requests for 2026, compared to fewer than 50 million combined for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
The executive estimated that 25% of group stage tickets were priced below 300 dollars. “You cannot go to watch a college game in the United States, let alone a big professional game of a certain level, for less than 300 dollars,” Infantino said. “And this is the World Cup.”
A very controversial situation that will continue to generate discussion, with prices so high for certain matches that, for the spectator, it will probably not be a good idea to attend, and we could see empty stadiums with low attendance for what the World Cup represents.
