FIFA President Gianni Infantino has defended the pricing of tickets for the 2026 FIFA World Cup following criticism from fans who claim admission costs are significantly higher than in previous editions of the tournament.
The world football governing body has faced growing scrutiny over its ticketing strategy, particularly after introducing variable pricing for certain matches and increasing ticket costs across the tournament.
Infantino said FIFA had little choice but to adjust prices due to overwhelming demand from supporters across the three host nations — the United States, Mexico and Canada.
“Demand has exceeded all expectations. The number of requests for match tickets has been incredible, so we had to take measures like this because we did not want others taking advantage of the situation,” he said.
According to Infantino, ticket prices start from US$60 (approximately RM244), which he described as reflecting current market conditions.
“If we sold tickets at lower prices, there would certainly be people buying them only to resell them at much higher prices,” he added.
FIFA has reported exceptionally strong sales ahead of the tournament, with more than six million tickets already purchased by fans worldwide.
The unprecedented demand has reportedly prompted organisers to release an additional 130,000 tickets as excitement continues to build ahead of football’s biggest event.
Major sporting events have increasingly adopted dynamic pricing models in recent years, with organisers arguing that the system better reflects market demand while helping combat ticket scalping and unauthorised resale activities.
Infantino also stressed that revenue generated from ticket sales plays a crucial role in supporting football development initiatives around the world.
“Every dollar spent will be invested back into football globally. We only have one tournament every four years to generate income on this scale,” he said.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is expected to be the largest edition in the competition’s history, with matches taking place across multiple cities in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
