Amid the raging resentment over ticket prices for the FIFA World Cup in 2026, FIFA chief Gianni Infantino has defended the exorbitant rates, saying that without ticket revenue, there would be no football in 150 countries. “Without FIFA, there would be no football in 150 countries in the world. There is football because, and thanks to, these revenues we generate with, and from, the World Cup, which we reinvest all over the world,” he said at the World Sports Summit in Dubai on Monday.
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In the third round of ticket sales through the lottery system, the first after the draws were announced, FIFA’s dynamic pricing system ensured that ticket prices shot through the roofs, the skies and the stratosphere, making the World Cup almost an impossible dream for millions of fans. The cheapest ticket for attending the final is priced at a jaw-dropping $4185; the upper tier tickets won’t come cheaper than $5575. A seat in the second level could cost as much as $8,680, making it the most expensive sporting event ever in the world. The lowest for a game involving Brazil, Portugal and Argentina, is $265, a seat in the enclosure above the end-line and goalpost, where the view could be jarring.
FIFA World Cup trophy. (FILE photo)
Worse, the ticket-spike has not spared group-stage games either. For the preliminary stage, the prices fluctuate from $140 to $2735. In Qatar, tickets for some games came as cheap as $60, whereas, sales for several games in Euro 2024 started at $40. While FIFA has not explained the reason for its most recent spike, it had earlier released a statement explaining its guiding principles in setting ticket-prices. “FIFA’s ticketing approach aligns with industry trends across various sports and entertainment sectors, where price adaptations are made to optimise sales, attendance and ensure a fair market value,” it stated. Ninety percent of all revenue FIFA generates is redistributed back into the global game, supporting the growth of football around the world, it claims.
Despite the pricing, demand for tickets continues to soar. “We have six to seven million tickets on sale and in 15 days we received 150 million ticket requests,” Infantino pointed out. “In the almost 100 years of the World Cup, FIFA has sold 44 million tickets in total. So, in two weeks, we could have filled 300 years of World Cups. Imagine that. This is absolutely crazy,” he added.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd