FIFA's dynamic pricing for the upcoming World Cup has led to a significant increase in ticket prices, with some tickets costing nearly 50% more than previous records. As a result, many matches, including the US opener against Paraguay, are seeing low ticket sales and wide availability.
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With the FIFA Men’s World Cup exactly six weeks away from kicking off in the United States, Mexico and Canada, soccer’s global governing body potentially finds itself in a catch-22 of its own making.
FIFA, which is expected to bring in a record $11 billion in revenue from the tournament, has employed a type of dynamic pricing model for ticket sales it’s calling “variable pricing,” dramatically increasing prices for tickets in the 11 host venues based on demands from fans all over the world. It led to the average ticket price across FIFA’s three category groups to increase by an average of 34% between October and April, per The Athletic, with costs increasing for at least 90 of the competition’s 104 total matches. The average cost of the cheapest group stage ticket is nearly 50% higher than the previous World Cup record, adjusted for inflation.
Apparently the World Cup’s working slogan, “Football Unites the World,” mostly applies to those who can afford the get-in price.
The sticker shock appears to have driven fans away. The Athletic obtained a document dated April 10 reportedly sent to local organizers indicating that fewer than 41,000 tickets had been sold for the US’ group stage opener against Paraguay at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium on June 12 despite a listed seating capacity of just under 70,000. FIFA disputed the report, stating the document “does not accurately reflect actual sales to date.” And yet, as of this publication, seats remain available — albeit at a get-in price of $1,120.
At least seven group stage matches have wide ticket availability, according to FIFA’s official ticketing website, including Canada’s group stage opener against Bosnia and Herzegovina at Toronto’s BMO Field on June 12. More than 2,000 tickets are still available, at a get-in cost of $1,645.
This begs an essential question central to the World Cup’s success here this summer: Will high prices lead to large swaths of empty seats at what is supposed to be one of the world’s premier sporting events?
The average ticket prices have increased by 34%, with the cheapest group stage ticket nearly 50% higher than the previous World Cup record.
High ticket prices due to FIFA's dynamic pricing model have led to sticker shock, driving many fans away from purchasing tickets.
Fewer than 41,000 tickets have reportedly been sold for the US opener against Paraguay, despite a seating capacity of nearly 70,000.
At least seven group stage matches, including Canada's opener against Bosnia and Herzegovina, still have wide ticket availability.
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(Dillon Minshall/Yahoo Sports illustration)
FIFA expanded the World Cup field from 32 to 48 teams for the first time for this year’s edition, diluting the talent while charging higher fees to catch the action in person. As the U.S. grapples with an affordability crisis with high gas prices and inflation, demand has failed to meet the tournament’s larger-than-ever supply. Yet where FIFA’s ticketing site says there are plenty of tickets available, as of Tuesday, the rates continue to be staggeringly high.
Nearly 2,000 tickets remain available (of tickets that have been released) in the lower bowl for the June 22 match between Jordan and Algeria at San Francisco’s Levi’s Stadium for $380+. That same $380 price is still listed as the cheapest ticket for the worst seating sections at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field for Curaçao’s group stage match against Ivory Coast on June 25, where more than 1,000 lower-bowl tickets remain.
On secondary ticket market Gametime, there are only four current resale get-in prices for under $200: Austria vs. Jordan at Levi’s Stadium on June 16; Jordan vs. Algeria at Levi’s Stadium on June 22; and Curaçao vs. Ivory Coast; and Algeria vs Austria on June 27 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.
A newly passed law in the province of Ontario bans reselling of tickets for more than face value, meaning the only tickets now available for Canada’s opening game are premium tickets that start at $1,645 and go up to $3,360.
Prices are exorbitant even before factoring in wildly excessive charges for transportation and parking. Those prices only look more foolish when accounting for the risks foreign fans would have to take just to get to America for the privilege to attend a match.
The U.S. has instituted a full travel ban on all immigrant and non-immigrant visas from World Cup qualifiers Haiti and Iran, according to the American Immigration Council, and a ban on all immigrant visas and tourist, student and exchange visitor visas from Ivory Coast and Senegal, making it next to impossible for those fans to cheer on their teams in stadium.
FIFA may be destined to repeat the embarrassment of last year’s Club World Cup, which debuted a new 32-team format last summer in the States. Across 48 group stage matches, the Associated Press reported there were more than 1 million empty seats. Only 56.7% of publicly listed capacity was filled, and three of the seven matches where less than 33% of tickets were sold took place in venues hosting World Cup matches in June.
A Club World Cup match last year between Ulsan HD FC and Mamelodi Sundowns FC was played in front of a mostly empty stadium. (Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images)
(Chris Brunskill/Fantasista via Getty Images)
While fans flocked in huge numbers to see top global clubs like Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Boca Juniors, Manchester City and Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami, just over 3,000 fans went to watch a game between South Korea’s Ulsan and South African club Mamelodi Sundowns. And unless prices drop significantly, FIFA could again see a large number of empty seats for games that are not in as high demand as others.
FIFA claimed to make efforts to sell certain numbers of low-priced seats for the 48 teams’ supporters with $60 tickets, but the U.S. allotment of 500 per game was only offered to three select groups, per FOS. Initial ticketing lottery winners were able to snag select $120 tickets, and the latest ticket release did sell some $140 offerings, but those lucky enough to access those prices are far outnumbered by fans priced out by this variable pricing process.
To date, FIFA has not released all available tickets, controlling the allotment to maintain a level of scarcity in an attempt to drive up demand and, thus, prices. Over the next six weeks, FIFA is expected to release more tickets as part of its ongoing “last-minute sales phase.” The question is, will they maintain the exorbitant prices and, if so, will fans pay up?
