FIFA president defends World Cup ticket prices with dubious claim

TL;DR

FIFA president Gianni Infantino defends high ticket prices for the 2026 World Cup, claiming they are justified in the U.S. market. Fans and the Football Supporters Europe group have expressed outrage, citing costs nearly five times higher than the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Key points

FIFA president defends high ticket prices for 2026 World Cup
Fans worldwide outraged over ticket costs
Football Supporters Europe claims prices are extortionate
Costs nearly five times higher than 2022 World Cup in Qatar
FSE filed a lawsuit with the European Commission

Mentioned in this story

FIFAGianni InfantinoFootball Supporters EuropeUnited StatesMexicoCanada

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has defended the high cost of 2026 World Cup tickets by claiming they are justified in the U.S. market.

Fans worldwide have expressed outrage over ticket prices for the tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada running from June 11 to July 19.

Fan group Football Supporters Europe (FSE) has complained that FIFA's pricing is “extortionate” and claimed that following a team from the tournament's start to finish will cost nearly five times as much as the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The FSE even filed a lawsuit with the European Commission in March over the prices.

But for Infantino, the elevated prices are simply the cost of doing business in the American marketplace.

“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 said at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California on Tuesday.

“In the U.S. 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 our price.”

Though ticket prices for American live entertainment can be high, Infantino may have revealed he has a slightly distorted view of exactly how much it costs to attend events in the United States.

“You cannot go to watch in the U.S. a college game, not even speaking about a top professional game of a certain level, for less than $300,” Infantino said. “And this is the World Cup.”

For the 13 MLS matches this upcoming weekend, the most expensive get-in price on Ticketmaster was $62 in San Jose. That was an outlier, with the other 12 matches averaging a get-in price of $26.

Q&A

Why are 2026 World Cup ticket prices considered extortionate?

Fans and the Football Supporters Europe group argue that ticket prices are excessively high, with costs nearly five times greater than those for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

What justification did FIFA president Gianni Infantino give for high ticket prices?

Infantino claimed that the high ticket prices are justified in the U.S. market, although this statement has been met with skepticism.

What actions has Football Supporters Europe taken regarding ticket prices?

Football Supporters Europe has filed a lawsuit with the European Commission in March over the high ticket prices for the World Cup.

When will the 2026 World Cup take place?

The 2026 World Cup is scheduled to run from June 11 to July 19, 2026, across the United States, Mexico, and Canada.