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FIFA unites the world in disbelief at stadium concession pricesAt a tournament that is already raking in money, the sport's governing body is maximizing revenue on match days You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.A sign showing concession prices at Toronto Stadium for the World Cup. Photo by Scott Stinson /National PostHere is one way to think about the concession prices at World Cup games that might make them feel less, well, extortionate.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. 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Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorIf you consider that the face-value of a ticket to, say, Canada’s opening game in Toronto against Bosnia-Herzegovina was about $1,100 even for a cheap seat, then the cost of a pair of hot dogs and soft drinks at that game was a mere five per cent of the admission to the stadium. For a whole meal!Readers who are quick with math may have already deduced the other way to think about those hot dogs and soft drinks — sorry, “sparkling” soft drinks. Which is that they cost $57.50.This newsletter from NP Comment tackles the topics you care about. (Subscriber-exclusive edition on Fridays)By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againA week into the World Cup there have already been plenty of scenes in stadiums around North America of jubilation and drama, and of heartbreak and joy. There have also been expressions of shock and amazement, some of them in the concourses as visitors discover how much it costs to buy anything at FIFA’s quadrennial party/light robbery.Even in a world where sky-high concession prices are fairly routine in a place like Toronto, these ones do cause a sharp intake of breath, and especially among those visitors from other countries who find the whole idea of a $17 beer kind of unfathomable.Seven Canadian dollars for a bag of chips (the small kind). $17.75 for fried pickles. A cool $25.25 for chicken tenders and fries. Another $14.75 for a vegan hot dog. Charging almost $15 for vegan anything should be a crime. A sign showing concession prices at Toronto Stadium for the World Cup.Credit: Scott Stinson/Postmedia Photo by Scott Stinson /National PostFancy a drink? It is seven dollars for a bottle of water. Nine for a bottle of Coke. It is $16.75 for a (tall) can of beer. A “specialty cocktail” will run you $25. Despite the price, the specialty part is not that you get the whole bottle for that amount. A glass of wine, nine ounces, sells for $26.25. But the wine is made from grapes harvested from Gianni infantino’s private reserve, on the FIFA president’s estate in Tuscany. (Just kidding. It’s run-of-the-mill stuff.)FIFA has said its concession pricing strategy is to keep them in line with local markets, which is why stuff is cheaper in Guadalajara than Boston or Toronto. But the thing that makes these prices seem particularly unreasonable is that FIFA has already used this tournament to fleece football fans from all over the world out of huge amounts of money. As has already been well documented by this point, the ticket prices are incredibly high, and have been denounced as a “betrayal” of supporters by groups across Europe and South America. Four-digit prices have been routine for high-profile games, and FIFA responded to the general outcry late last year by making a small number of tickets available to supporters’ groups for less than $100.While FIFA is a non-profit that uses the World Cup to fund the rest of its activities in any quadrennial, there have been reports that it is using this one to build its reserves like never before. The Athletic reported last year that FIFA had a combined surplus of US$1.1 billion after the four-cycle that ended with the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. That same report said FIFA’s budgeted revenues for this cycle are US$13 billion, a 72 per cent increase from the last one, fuelled in part by all the money it is extracting from match-going fans.(The bulk of World Cup expenses are also shouldered by host cities and nations; Canada is estimated to be spending about $1 billion in public funds to host its 13 games.)It is enough to make one want to drink a couple of glasses of $26-dollar wine. A merchandise kiosk at Toronto Stadium. Photo by Scott Stinson /National PostAt least FIFA is devoted to growing the game, as Infantino always insists whenever he is asked what he is doing with all that money. To that end, consider the goodies that are for sale at the official FIFA stores throughout the stadium in Toronto. Ahead of the Panama-Ghana game on Wednesday night, Panama T-shirts were available for $84. A Canada jersey is $160. A small stuffed toy of one of the official World Cup 2026 mascots — Maple, Clutch and Zayu — would be great for the little ones. Those cost $50. The stores also have a selection of soccer balls. Asked for the prices, the fellow minding the till said the “fake” World Cup ball — I believe you are supposed to call those “replica” balls, sir — costs $48. The official one is $250. Go with the replica, your kid won’t notice the difference.If it’s any consolation to those staggering around the concourses at the stadium in wide-eyed disbelief, the food prices in the media centre aren’t much better, where a turkey BLT was available for $23 and change on Wednesday.There was complimentary coffee, though. Maybe I’ll try reselling a few to make back some of that BLT money. At five dollars a pop they would be a relative steal. Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.