FIFA chief Gianni Infantino justifies elevated World Cup ticket costs
FIFA is receiving sharp backlash about World Cup ticket expenses, as the supporters group Football Supporters Europe (FSE) labels the pricing setup "extortionate" and a "monumental betrayal".
In March, FSE submitted a legal action to the European Commission against FIFA concerning "excessive ticket prices" for the competition.
Last week, FIFA's dedicated resale site, the FIFA Marketplace, listed four seats for the July 19 final in New York priced above $2 million per ticket (£1.47m).
Addressing attendees at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, Infantino explained that such steep costs mirror the intense interest in viewing the World Cup.
"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," Infantino stated.
"And number two it doesn't mean that somebody will buy these tickets," Infantino continued. "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 organisations point out the stark contrast in ticket costs between the forthcoming event and the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
The highest priced final ticket in 2022 stood at roughly $1,600 on its initial sale, whereas for 2026 the top final ticket reaches around $11,000 at face value.
Infantino insisted that the sharp hike in official prices makes sense.
"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," Infantino remarked.
"In the US it is permitted to resell tickets as well. So if you were to sell tickets at a price that 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 noted that FIFA garnered over 500 million ticket applications for 2026, far surpassing the under 50 million total from the 2018 and 2022 tournaments combined.
The head of FIFA also mentioned that 25 percent of group stage tickets cost less than $300.
"You cannot go to watch a college game in the US, not even speaking about a top professional game of a certain level, for less than $300," Infantino said. "And this is the World Cup."