FIFA President Gianni Infantino has explained why ticket prices for the 2026 World Cup are high, pointing out that the huge interest shows how popular the event is worldwide. He mentioned that FIFA received 150 million ticket requests in just 15 days for the tournament that will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
 |
| PHOTO: INFANTINO |
Infantino said that around six to seven million tickets were available for sale, and within 15 days, 150 million requests were made — about 10 million each day.
He said this highlights how much power and appeal the World Cup has. While speaking at the World Sports Summit in Dubai, he added that in nearly a century of World Cup history, FIFA has only sold 44 million tickets in total. He went on to say that the current level of demand could fill 300 years of World Cups.
He also shared that fans from the United States made the most requests, followed by Germany and the United Kingdom.
Infantino defended the ticket prices after some fan groups criticized them for being higher than in the 2022 World Cup. He noted that a new $60 ticket category was added to make the event more accessible.
He explained that the money earned from ticket sales is used to support football globally.
“Without FIFA, there would be no football in 150 countries. Football exists because of the revenues we make from the World Cup, and we use that money to help football around the world,” he said.
In addition, Infantino announced that Dubai will host the next FIFA Best Awards, which recognize the best men’s and women’s players, coaches, and teams.
“I can announce a new partnership to honor the best players, coaches, and teams here in Dubai,” he said.
This year, France’s Ousmane Dembele won the men’s best player award, and Spain’s Aitana Bonmati was honored with the women’s award.
#TrendingNow