Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, has defended the high cost of World Cup tickets, arguing that pricing reflects market realities and existing resale laws in the United States.
Gatekeepers News reports that FIFA has come under intense criticism over ticket pricing for the 2026 tournament, with fan group Football Supporters Europe (FSE) describing the structure as “extortionate” and a “monumental betrayal.” The organisation filed a lawsuit with the European Commission in March, alleging excessive pricing.
The controversy intensified after FIFA’s official resale platform, FIFA Marketplace, listed four tickets for the July 19 final in New York at more than $2 million each.
Speaking on Tuesday at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, Infantino said such prices were driven by demand rather than FIFA’s base pricing.
“If some people put on the resale market, some tickets for the final at $2 million, number one, it doesn’t mean that the tickets cost $2 million,” he said.
“And number two, it doesn’t mean that somebody will buy these tickets. And if somebody buys a ticket for the final for $2 million, I will personally bring him a hot dog and a Coke to make sure that he has a great experience.”
Fan groups have also highlighted the sharp increase in ticket prices compared to previous tournaments. The most expensive ticket for the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar was about $1,600 at face value, while the top-tier ticket for the 2026 final is priced at roughly $11,000.
Infantino, however, insisted the increase was justified.
“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,” he said.
He added that US regulations permitting ticket resale contribute to inflated secondary-market prices.
“In the US, 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,” Infantino said.
“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 of our price.”
According to Infantino, demand for the 2026 World Cup has far outstripped previous tournaments, with more than 500 million ticket requests recorded, compared to fewer than 50 million combined for the 2018 and 2022 editions.
He also noted that a quarter of group-stage tickets were priced below $300.
“You cannot go to watch a college game in the US, not even speaking about a top professional game of a certain level, for less than $300,” he said. “And this is the World Cup.”
