Infantino said the eye-popping prices reflected demand for the World Cup in the United States, amid growing criticism from fans.
Published May 6, 2026
FIFA president Gianni Infantino defended World Cup ticket prices, saying soccer’s international governing body was obligated to take advantage of a U.S. law that allows tickets to be resold for thousands of dollars above face value.
Infantino, who spoke at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills on Tuesday, said the eye-popping prices reflected demand for watching the World Cup.
FIFA has come under intense criticism over World Cup ticket prices, with fan group Football Supporters Europe (FSE) slamming the prices as “exorbitant” and a “gross betrayal”.
In March, FSE filed a lawsuit with the European Commission against FIFA over “exorbitant ticket prices” for the tournament.
FIFA Marketplace, FIFA’s own World Cup resale website, last week advertised four tickets for the July 19 final in New York for more than $2 million each.
“Even though some people put tickets to the finals on the resale market for $2 million, that doesn’t mean the ticket price is $2 million,” Infantino said.
“And secondly, it doesn’t mean anyone is going to buy these tickets,” Infantino said. “If someone buys a ticket to the finals for $2 million, I’ll personally bring him a hot dog and a Coke to make sure he has a great experience.”
Fan groups are comparing the difference between ticket prices for this summer and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The most expensive ticket for the 2022 finals was around $1,600 in face value, while the most expensive ticket for the 2026 finals was around $11,000 in original price.
Infantino was adamant that the sharp increase in face value was justified.
“We have to look at the market. We are in the most developed entertainment market in the world, so we have to apply market rates,” Infantino said.
“In the United States, ticket resale is also allowed, so if you sell a ticket too low, it will be resold at an even higher price.
“And the truth is, while some people say the ticket prices we have are high, they end up on the resale market at even higher prices, more than double our price.”
Infantino said FIFA received more than 500 million ticket requests in 2026, but less than 50 million for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups combined.
The FIFA leader added that 25 percent of group stage tickets were priced under $300.
Infantino said, “In the United States, you can’t go see a college game for less than $300, let alone a certain level of top professional games.” “And this is the World Cup.”
But FIFA has struggled to fill games, including hosts America’s first match against Paraguay.
Seats remain available for most group stage games, albeit at exorbitant prices.
Tickets for USA vs. Paraguay range from $1,120 all the way up to $4,105, with many tickets for the June 12 game in Los Angeles selling for around $2,000. Hospitality package group seats can cost up to $6,050 per seat.
Tickets can still be purchased from the ‘Last Minute Sales’ section of the official FIFA website.
