FIFA World Cup 2026 kicks off in Mexico City amid ticket pricing backlash

FIFA Chief Infantino Defends World Cup Ticket Prices on Eve of Tournament

FIFA President Gianni Infantino mounted a defiant defense of record-high World Cup ticket prices on Wednesday during an eve-of-tournament press conference in Mexico City, as the largest edition of the competition in history prepares to kick off on Thursday with Mexico facing South Africa at the Estadio Azteca.fifa

“Everyone in North America Is Doing Something Wrong”

Speaking to journalists a day before the opening match, Infantino argued that FIFA’s pricing was in line with the broader North American sports market. “If we are doing something wrong, everyone in North America is doing something wrong,” he said. He pointed to the $60 entry-level ticket — of which 130,000 were made available to national federations for loyal supporters — as “the lowest entry price of any of the American sports in the playoff phases.”usatoday

Infantino also claimed the average ticket price across the tournament was below $500, which he called “the lowest of the American sports on average.” However, as the Associated Press noted, this claim, while potentially accurate for resale prices, does not appear to hold for list prices.euronews

Backlash Over Premium Pricing

The defense came against a backdrop of sustained criticism. Regular seats for the July 19 final in New Jersey are priced up to $8,680, with premium tickets reaching $32,970. Hospitality packages have topped $73,200, according to reports, and tickets on FIFA’s own resale platform were listed for as much as $2.3 million earlier this year. Fan organizations including Football Supporters Europe have filed a formal complaint with the European Commission, calling the pricing “extortionate” and alleging abuses of competition law.espn

Infantino framed the high prices as a bulwark against scalpers. “If you sold it at a lower price, it would go to secondary markets at much higher prices. And where would the money go then? To those who organize secondary markets or black market activities, rather than to football,” he said. He added that demand had been “unprecedented” — exceeding expectations “by a factor of 10 or more” — and that more than six million tickets had already been sold.unn

Tournament Set to Begin

The 2026 World Cup, the first to feature 48 teams across 104 matches in 16 host cities spanning the United States, Canada, and Mexico, opens Thursday with an opening ceremony at Mexico City Stadium followed by the Group A match between Mexico and South Africa. U.S. states have also opened investigations into FIFA’s ticketing practices, which Infantino said the organization welcomes.aljazeera