FIFA has faced mounting criticism in recent months because of the prices attached to tickets for the 2026 World Cup across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Many supporters questioned whether ordinary football fans are gradually being pushed away from attending the biggest sporting tournament because of increasingly expensive ticket costs and resale values.
However, FIFA president Gianni Infantino repeatedly defended the organisation’s pricing strategy and recently addressed the issue again while discussing the resale market surrounding the World Cup final.
Gianni Infantino says FIFA cannot control huge resale ticket prices
The Italian lawyer recently joked about the situation while discussing reports that some World Cup final tickets appeared on resale platforms for extraordinary amounts of money.
“If somebody buys a ticket for the final for $2 million dollars, I will personally bring a hot dog and a Coke to make sure that he has a great experience!” Infantino joked while addressing the controversy.
The FIFA president later clarified that the organisation should not be blamed for every resale listing associated with the tournament, especially considering ticket resale remains legal in the United States.
He also said (via BBC): “If some people put on the resale market some tickets for the final at $2m, number one, it doesn’t mean that the tickets cost $2m, and number two, it doesn’t mean that somebody will buy these tickets.
“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 also argued that resale prices actually support the organisation’s claim that original ticket prices are not excessively inflated compared to market demand surrounding the competition.
“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 our price. We have 25% of the group stage tickets which can be bought for less than $300,” he concluded.
