FIFA president defends World Cup ticket prices, saying demand is hitting records

FIFA President Gianni Infantino on Monday justified the controversially high ticket prices for the 2026 World Cup by announcing that the tournament had already received over 150 million ticket requests during the latest sales window, an unprecedented level of demand.

Infantino also said that most of the proceeds from the tournament — which will be held across the U.S., Canada and Mexico next year — will be steered to develop soccer worldwide, stating flatly that “without FIFA, there would be no football in 150 countries in the world. ”

His comments at the World Sports Summit in Dubai were his first public remarks since the most recent application period for tickets opened up in early December — leading to outrage after fans saw the prices being charged.

Those prices range from $140 for a handful of initial round games to as much as $2,735 for the U.S. opening match against Paraguay that will be held in Los Angeles next year.

Prices for knockout rounds surge even more, with FIFA charging $4,185 for the cheapest ticket for the final that will be held in July in New Jersey — and $8,680 for the most expensive seats.

FIFA subsequently announced a special tier of $60 tickets for each of the 104 games of the tournament for followers of participating countries’ teams, though that will represent only a small fraction of available tickets.

“In the last few days, you have probably seen there is a lot of debate about ticketing and ticket prices,” Infantino said before announcing the tournament had received 150 million ticket requests since the application period for tickets opened on Dec. 11, a number he described as “absolutely crazy.”

“This shows how powerful the World Cup is,” he said.

FIFA has defended its December prices — which are much higher than in previous World Cups and in many cases higher than ticket prices in sales windows earlier this year — by saying that the vast majority of the proceeds from the tournament will support the development of soccer worldwide.

“There is football because [of] and thanks to these revenues we generate with and from the World Cup, which we reinvest, of course, all over the world,” Infantino said in Dubai on Monday.

The ongoing sales window will remain open until Jan. 13. People can apply to buy tickets for each of the 104 games. The date when they end up submitting their applications will have no bearing on their chances of succeeding, according to FIFA.