Gianni Infantino says high World Cup ticket prices are justified in US market
Summary
FIFA President Gianni Infantino explained that the high prices of 2026 World Cup tickets in the US are due to market laws that allow ticket reselling at very high prices. He said the ticket prices reflect the demand to watch the World Cup in a country where entertainment events are often expensive.Key Facts
- FIFA faces criticism for expensive World Cup tickets, including a lawsuit by a fan group about high prices.
- Some final match tickets were listed for resale at $2.3 million each, but FIFA does not control resale prices.
- FIFA charges buyers a 15% fee and sellers a 15% fee on its official resale site.
- The most expensive ticket at face value for the 2026 final is about $11,000, up from $1,600 in 2022.
- Infantino said the US market allows ticket resales at high prices and FIFA must set market rates accordingly.
- Over 500 million ticket requests were made for the 2026 World Cup, far more than previous tournaments.
- One-quarter of the group phase tickets are priced under $300, which FIFA says is reasonable compared to US sports events.
- For comparison, tickets for a popular US baseball game can be as low as $11.
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