FIFA boss Gianni Infantino defends World Cup ticket sales amid pricing criticism

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has defended the ticketing process for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, insisting demand for tickets has been unprecedented despite criticism over high prices and concerns about stadium attendance.

The tournament's ticketing system has come under scrutiny in recent months, with supporters and several football associations questioning pricing, availability, and the transparency of ticket allocations.

Official face-value ticket prices range from $120 for general public group-stage matches to $7,875 for the highest-category tickets for the World Cup final. However, with demand soaring, resale and VIP tickets have been listed for tens of thousands of dollars, prompting criticism from supporters over affordability.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of the tournament, Infantino said FIFA had already sold more than six million tickets and expects demand to remain strong throughout the competition.

"We have sold over six million tickets as of today," Infantino said.

"There are always tickets on sale, as you know. We need always to keep some tickets for those teams who qualify for the additional rounds."

The FIFA president dismissed suggestions that interest in the tournament had been affected by the controversy, describing demand as far beyond previous editions.

"The demand has been unprecedented, but not unprecedented by a little bit, but unprecedented by a factor of ten or more," he said.

"The number of ticket requests we have received has been absolutely incredible."

His comments come after complaints from fans over the high cost of tickets and reports from some football federations about difficulties accessing their official ticket allocations.

The expanded 48-team tournament, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, begins this week, with FIFA expecting millions of supporters to attend matches across the three host nations.