If the 23rd FIFA World Cup has become so prohibitively expensive, with tickets to the finals selling for more than $2 million, it’s because of greed as well as dynamic pricing, says Peter Moore, a longtime games and sports executive.
“Dynamic pricing does not belong to the World Cup or soccer,” Moore told Al Jazeera in a recent interview from his home in Santa Barbara, California.
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“Music works, but in the case of the World Cup, hundreds of thousands of people are booking travel in advance. They’re asking themselves, ‘Would I want to pay $2,000 to go to a third-division match between Saudi Arabia and Saudi Arabia?'” And FIFA’s 30 percent levy on dynamic pricing is outrageous. ”
The 71-year-old, former chief executive of Liverpool FC from 2017 to 2020, has criticized FIFA president Gianni Infantino in interviews and on social media.
“Gianni Infantino misread the situation and thought he could get away with it,” Moore said.
“Right now tickets are in the hands of bots and speculators who have no intention of going to the game. They’re collecting tickets and hoping they can sell them within the next six to eight weeks, but I don’t see that happening.”
He added: “I hope there are enough people there to get a good atmosphere for the game.”
There’s certainly a dark undertone to this World Cup – at some venues in the United States, anyway. This ranges from the high cost of tickets and transportation to good luck getting a visa (hopefully you haven’t visited Cuba recently).
Upon arrival, there are signs of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents targeting the fans. When you finally pass through the ticket gate, you will be greeted by a large number of empty seats.
How FIFA is playing things out also raises questions about who the World Cup is for.
The demographics are more corporate, less socio-economically diverse, and there may be fewer genuine fans in attendance than previous tournaments.
Under the travel ban imposed by President Trump in an executive order, fans from the four participating countries – Ivory Coast, Haiti, Iran and Senegal – will not be able to enter the country unless they already have a valid visa.
“This is the world’s game, but if the world can’t play, then who is this World Cup for?” Moore said.
“FIFA is making money by taking advantage of unique commercial opportunities in the United States, dynamic pricing, and a secondary market that is legal here. Infantino says it’s $11 billion (and expects FIFA revenue from the World Cup to exceed that). Why not make it more streamlined and accessible and make maybe $8 billion?”
“FIFA is a not-for-profit organization, and it was created to serve players and fans around the world. That’s what FIFA’s mission is, it’s not like a for-profit organization, and it’s to maximize the opportunity to make as much money as possible.”
FIFA expects to generate $3 billion in revenue from ticket and hospitality sales alone.
Infantino defended the high ticket prices, saying the tournament, which is held every four years, is FIFA’s only source of income, which it reinvests into the development of football in all 211 member countries.
MLS Commissioner Don Garber recently called FIFA’s dynamic pricing policy a “good idea,” adding that Infantino likened the World Cup to “dozens” of NFL Super Bowls that feature dynamic ticketing. And U.S. fans are used to paying higher prices for “premium” events, Gerber added.
But the appeal of the Super Bowl is based on the fact that the contest is held once a year, rather than dozens of times. One way to reduce the value of the Super Bowl would be to schedule it to be held several times a year.
Are supporters from other 47 countries participating? I thought they were going to the World Cup, not the Super Bowl. And they’re probably not used to dynamic pricing or the legitimate profits from ticket resale.
However, reselling tickets at high prices is legal in the United States, and having FIFA involved in reselling “changes everything,” Moore said. “So tickets are no longer just for fans. Tickets are tradable assets.” This introduces speculators who do business “like traders, not supporters.”
It may have been inevitable that the spirit of the World Cup would be taken over by brutal capitalism. But it seems not everyone is ready for that yet. The World Cup is more than just a sporting event, it’s a universal gathering. Or so we thought. Perhaps this is just another “premium event” like many Taylor Swift concerts, but the dance moves are even worse.
So welcome to the first soulless World Cup?
“This is dystopian and an existential threat to the game,” Moore said, referring to both the state of World Cup ticket sales and the broader issue.
“After all, will this be the first World Cup where FIFA maximizes profits rather than getting as many people as possible to come and support their country?”
Moore is reluctant to participate in the World Cup, but said he could drive down the Pacific Coast Highway to Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium.
“For me, I look at StubHub, SeatGeek and TicketMaster every day,” Moore said. “We’re used to live music. We can stand outside the Allegiant[Las Vegas stadium]and monitor our phones when ticket prices drop or when touts need to drop off tickets for the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney and Shakira. But overseas fans can’t do that at the World Cup, so they fly to America and book hotels and hope prices go down.”
If you plan on attending a game, Moore advises checking the resale market near game time.
“We’ll just have to wait and see. As the weeks go by, if tickets don’t move, the secondary market will be depressed,” Moore said.
“But at an affordable price? I don’t know. What creates the excitement at the World Cup are the regular fans from Brazil, Colombia, Africa. If it’s $1,000, $2,000, $3,000 (per ticket), how can they afford to travel and come to the games? Who has that kind of money?”
For fans who pass through the turnstiles, perhaps the power of football will overcome all and experience what we consider to be the atmosphere of a timeless World Cup. However, some of them may feel like FIFA has defrauded them of their money.
