World Cup ticket prices have become one of the biggest talking points around the 2026 tournament, with supporters and critics questioning whether FIFA is pricing ordinary fans out of soccer’s showpiece.
Even US president Donald Trump has acknowledged the issue, admitting tickets were expensive when discussing the USMNT’s debut against Paraguay.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has defended the pricing model, pointing to North American resale culture, but former Real Madrid and Wales star Gareth Bale has now added his own criticism.
Gareth Bale says World Cup ticket prices are damaging the fan connection
Bale is one of the most recognisable players of his generation, having won five Champions League trophies with Real Madrid and leading Wales to their first World Cup since 1958.
Speaking to Front Office Sports, the former right-winger said: “It’s been a World Cup littered with political opinions, but it’s still the World Cup, everyone is excited. You want to kind of really focus on football. Of course, there’s the matter of ticket prices, which I was actually listening to something yesterday with how outrageous they are.
“And it kind of feels like it’s losing that interaction with the fan, with the people who grow up living, breathing, watching, playing football.”
FIFA has argued cheaper tickets would simply feed legal secondary markets, while Infantino said the tournament average was below $500 and that 130,000 tickets were offered to national federations at $60.
That defence has not removed the unease. Bale’s point is clear: the World Cup is built on global passion, and it risks losing something vital if the fans who live the game feel pushed further away.
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