FIFA defends World Cup ticket prices amid record demand and sales frustration

FIFA president Gianni Infantino defended the ticket prices for the 2026 World Cup on Monday in Dubai, citing record demand for the tournament being held across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Infantino said the tournament received 150 million ticket requests within two weeks of the sales opening. He specified that the highest demand came from the United States, Germany and the United Kingdom. The president stated that revenue from ticket sales would be reinvested in global football, addressing criticism from fan associations over pricing.

The final sales phase for World Cup tickets opened Wednesday, marking the first time fans could purchase tickets on a first-come, first-served basis without entering a lottery or receiving special access. The opening of this phase was marked by widespread frustration among supporters attempting to buy tickets.

Thousands of fans logged onto FIFA's ticket portal on Wednesday at or before 11 a.m. ET, but many encountered significant delays. Some waited for hours before gaining access to the system. Technical problems compounded the issues, with some fans mistakenly directed by FIFA to a separate, code-protected portal intended for dedicated supporters of teams that had just qualified on Tuesday. Those fans were forced to re-enter the digital queue and wait again.

For those who successfully accessed the main sales portal, ticket availability for high-demand matches was limited. Additionally, FIFA had raised prices again for this final sales phase. Category 1 tickets to the final now exceed $10,000, according to reports from the sales opening.