FIFA President Gianni Infantino has defended the high prices of World Cup tickets, stating that they reflect the “absolutely crazy” demand for next summer’s tournament.
The pricing for the event in the United States, Canada, and Mexico has faced significant backlash, with the Football Supporters’ Association (FSA) calling it “scandalous.”
Tickets for the group stage are priced up to three times higher than those for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and the cheapest ticket for the final in New Jersey costs £3,119.
Infantino claims that the demand far exceeds the available supply. “We have six to seven million tickets available, and in just 15 days, we received 150 million requests,” he stated at the World Sports Summit in Dubai on Monday.
“That’s 10 million requests each day, demonstrating the immense popularity of the World Cup.”
He noted that FIFA has sold a total of 44 million tickets over nearly 100 years of the World Cup, suggesting that in just two weeks, they could have filled 300 years’ worth of World Cups. “This is absolutely crazy,” he added.
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In response to the criticism regarding ticket prices, FIFA introduced a limited number of “more affordable” tickets priced at £45 for all 104 matches.
A FIFA official involved in the discussions mentioned, “We have listened to feedback, and this new category is the right thing to do.”
Infantino emphasized that the revenue generated from ticket sales will be reinvested into football globally, although he did not disclose a specific amount.
“What’s important is that the revenue generated goes back to the game worldwide,” he said. “Without FIFA, there would be no football in 150 countries.
Football exists because of the revenues we generate from the World Cup, which we reinvest globally.”
