FIFA President Gianni Infantino defended the pricing strategy for World Cup tickets amid public criticism. He justified the prices by comparing them to other major American sporting events. Infantino spoke at a news conference ahead of the expanded 48-nation World Cup tournament.
Tickets for the World Cup were priced starting at $140 for group-stage matches, with regular seats for the final listed as high as $8,680 and hospitality seats reaching $73,200. Following criticism, FIFA raised final ticket prices to $10,990 and then $32,970. In response to public pressure, they offered $60 tickets to national federations for regular supporters, totaling 130,000 tickets. Infantino explained that lower prices would lead to resale at higher prices in secondary markets.
Infantino claimed the average ticket price for the tournament was under $500, similar to other U.S. sports playoff prices. However, data shows Major League Baseball World Series tickets average between $350 and $400, and NFL tickets last season averaged $230 to $450 for playoff games, with the Super Bowl costing $3,300.
Regarding legal investigations by U.S. states over ticket pricing, Infantino expressed calm, stating FIFA consulted top lawyers and experts before selling tickets. He highlighted the NBA Finals as an example of similar pricing trends.
Infantino addressed issues regarding the denied entry of Somali referee Omar Artan into the U.S., noting FIFA’s inability to influence government and security decisions. Artan was denied entry due to unspecified vetting concerns.
Infantino commended FIFA’s achievement in bringing Iran’s national team to the tournament. Although the U.S. and Iran face political tensions, Iran’s team will participate, training in Mexico before entering the U.S.
FIFA projected $11 billion in revenue for the tournament but suggested that moving all broadcasts to pay-per-view could generate significantly higher revenues, although it would limit access for global viewers.
Infantino’s news conference was noted for being smoother than his controversial statements during the previous World Cup in Qatar.