FIFA president Infantino acknowledges that resale prices for World Cup tickets will increase.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino indicated that numerous fans who have sought tickets for the 2026 World Cup may attempt to resell them for profit on secondary markets, consequently increasing ticket prices for the summer event in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
Due to an overwhelming demand for this year’s event, Infantino stated that the organization would need to conduct a lottery to distribute tickets to fans and acknowledged that resale prices would likely be even higher.
On FIFA’s official resale platform, a ticket for the final was listed for as much as $230,000 this week. While FIFA does not engage in reselling tickets or setting prices on the platform, it can benefit financially by taking a 30% commission from any sale.
During a discussion at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland this week, Infantino remarked that in the U.S., it is “perfectly legal to resell tickets on resale platforms. There is a law for that, so we have to of course allow that.”
He noted that all 104 matches at the World Cup would be sold out. “So, you can be sure that these tickets, for which we’ll have to make a draw because every game will be sold out, will probably be resold at even higher prices. And this is incredible but it shows really the impact that [the World Cup] has.
“In nearly 100 years of World Cup history, FIFA has sold around 50 million tickets in total,” he stated. “Now for this World Cup in four weeks [on sale], we have requests equivalent to 1,000 years of World Cups at once. This is unique. It’s incredible.”
This situation could also result in many disappointed fans being directed to resale sites where tickets are listed at multiples of their original price.
Fans have expressed outrage regarding the pricing strategy for this year’s tournament. FIFA is charging up to $8,680 per ticket, but after facing criticism, it announced that it would provide a selection of $60 tickets for every game to the 48 national federations involved.
Prices can be even more exorbitant through sellers aiming to make substantial profits on the secondary market.
Resale platforms are common in the U.S., and tickets can sell for significantly more than their original price. NBATickets.com operates the official resale marketplace for the NBA, where sellers set their own prices, subject to applicable fees.
Sellers also determine their own prices on FIFA’s marketplace, and significantly inflated listings further emphasize the rising costs of the tournament for fans, while the governing body stands to gain additional revenue, having already sold tickets at face value.
The list price for a category one ticket for the final at MetLife Stadium on July 19 is $8,680, but this is subject to change as dynamic pricing will be implemented at a World Cup for the first time.
The lowest list price for a comparable ticket on FIFA’s marketplace this week was $16,000—almost double the original price.
If sold at that price, it would yield $4,800 to the non-profit organization, based on its 30% commission.
A fan organization, Football Supporters Europe, has already accused FIFA of a “monumental betrayal” regarding its pricing and has also criticized its resale platform.
Ronan Evain, executive director of FSE, informed The Associated Press that he believed “a significant proportion of tickets that are sold and put on the resale platform are there just for profit.”
Other resale platforms are also offering World Cup tickets.
FIFA asserts that its platform provides a safe and secure method for fans to resell tickets.
At the World Cup in Qatar in 2022, the governing body took a smaller cut from resales, charging both the buyer and seller the greater of a 5% fee or 2 Qatari Riyals ($0.50). It also controlled the setting of resale prices, which could be higher or lower than face value.
This policy has changed for the current event.
In a statement to the AP, FIFA noted that it was a “reflection of the treatment of the secondary market for tickets (in the U.S. and Canada), which has a distinct legal treatment than in many other parts of the world.”
“We are focused on ensuring fair access to our game for existing but also prospective fans. FIFA resale fees are aligned with North American industry trends across various sports and entertainment sectors.”
There was significant backlash last month when FIFA announced its latest general release of tickets priced from $140 to $8,680.
FIFA defends its pricing model, stating it “reflects the existing market practice for major entertainment and sporting events within our hosts on a daily basis, soccer included.”
Speaking at Davos, Infantino elaborated.
“We were hammered. I was hammered, I should say, because of the ticket prices because they are so expensive,” he remarked. “The main critics were from Germany and England, of course.
“Now number one in ticket requests is the U.S., number two Germany, and number three England because everyone wants to come and participate.”
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
