FIFA President Gianni Infantino has defended the ticket prices for the 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, emphasizing the overwhelming demand and the significant revenue generated for global football development.
Speaking at the World Sports Summit in Dubai, Infantino highlighted the extraordinary interest in the tournament, revealing that FIFA received 150 million ticket requests within just 15 days for six to seven million tickets available. “So, 10 million ticket requests every single day. It shows how powerful the World Cup is,” he said.
To put this into perspective, Infantino noted that in nearly 100 years of World Cup history, FIFA has sold a total of 44 million tickets. The recent demand alone could fill 300 years of World Cups, underscoring the event’s immense popularity.
The highest number of ticket requests came from fans in the United States, followed by Germany and the United Kingdom.
Addressing concerns about ticket affordability, FIFA introduced a $60 ticket tier to make matches more accessible to fans of qualified teams after criticism from fan groups about the high costs compared to the 2022 tournament.
Infantino stressed the importance of the revenue generated, explaining that it is reinvested into football worldwide. “Without FIFA there’d be no football in 150 countries in the world. There is football because, and thanks to, these revenues we generate with, and from, the World Cup which we reinvest all over the world,” he said.
In addition to ticketing updates, Infantino announced that Dubai will host the FIFA Best Awards ceremony next year. The awards honor the top men’s and women’s players, coaches, and teams, as voted by fans, media, captains, and national team coaches.
“We have enjoyed the sport, and now we will enjoy even more the unity the sport brings to the entire world,” Infantino remarked, highlighting the global significance of the event.
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