The day before the biggest sporting event on the planet kicks off, FIFA’s president stood behind a podium in Mexico City and told everyone upset about ticket prices to basically relax.
Gianni Infantino held a press conference on June 10, defending the pricing structure for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where final tickets have ballooned to as much as $32,970 thanks to dynamic pricing. His advice to critics? “Chill and relax.”
The price of the beautiful game
Entry-level group-stage tickets start at $140. Initial pricing for the final ranged from $6,730 to $8,680. Dynamic pricing pushed premium final tickets to $32,970.
Infantino’s defense leaned on the lower end of the spectrum. He pointed out that $60 entry-level tickets represent the cheapest option in North American sports playoffs, with average prices sitting below $500. FIFA also allocated 130,000 tickets at that $60 rate specifically to national federations.
