Fifa president Gianni Infantino has defended the cost of tickets for next summer’s World Cup, insisting prices reflect unprecedented global demand for the tournament.
The ticket pricing for the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico has drawn widespread criticism from fans’ groups, with the Football Supporters’ Association branding the structure “scandalous”. Group-stage tickets are reported to be up to three times more expensive than those for the 2022 tournament in Qatar, while the cheapest ticket for the final in New Jersey is priced at £3,119.
Speaking at the World Sports Summit in Dubai, Infantino said demand for tickets has far exceeded supply.
Fifa has put between six and seven million tickets on sale for the expanded 48-team tournament, which will feature 104 matches. According to Infantino, the governing body received around 150 million ticket requests within the first 15 days of sales.
“That’s around 10 million ticket requests every single day,” he said. “It shows how powerful the World Cup is. In almost 100 years of the World Cup, Fifa has sold 44 million tickets in total. In two weeks, we could have filled 300 years of World Cups. This is absolutely crazy.”
The comments come amid growing concern that rising prices could limit access for traditional supporters, particularly as the tournament is hosted across three countries with significant travel and accommodation costs.
Following criticism of its initial ticket release, Fifa introduced a limited number of lower-priced tickets costing £45 for all matches in the group stage. The governing body said the move was intended to improve accessibility while maintaining revenue targets linked to the tournament’s scale and global reach.
The 2026 World Cup will be the largest in the competition’s history, with matches staged across venues in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Fifa has said the expanded format and commercial demand have influenced its pricing strategy, although supporters’ groups continue to call for greater affordability and transparency.
