FIFA President Gianni Infantino has defended the pricing of tickets for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, arguing that the global football governing body was obliged to take advantage of U.S. laws allowing tickets to be resold for thousands of dollars above face value.

Speaking at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills on Tuesday, Infantino said the eye-watering prices reflected demand. "If somebody buys a ticket for the final for $2 million, I will personally bring him a hot dog and a Coke to make sure that he has a great experience," he quipped.

FIFA has faced fierce criticism over ticket costs, with fan group Football Supporters Europe (FSE) branding the pricing structure "extortionate" and a "monumental betrayal." FSE filed a lawsuit with the European Commission in March targeting FIFA over "excessive ticket prices."

FIFA's own resale website, FIFA Marketplace, last week listed four tickets to the July 19 final in New York at over $2 million each. Infantino noted that such listings do not mean the tickets actually cost that much or that anyone will buy them.

The most expensive face-value ticket for the 2022 final in Qatar was about $1,600, while for 2026 it is about $11,000. Infantino insisted the steep increase was justified: "We have to look at the market – we are in the market in which entertainment is the most developed in the world."

Infantino revealed that FIFA received over 500 million ticket requests for 2026, compared to fewer than 50 million combined for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments. He added that 25% of group-stage tickets are priced under $300.

However, FIFA has struggled to sell out games, including host nation USA's opener against Paraguay. Tickets for that match start at $1,120 and go as high as $4,105, with hospitality packages reaching $6,050 per seat. Seats remain available on FIFA's "last-minute sales" section.

Source: www.aljazeera.com