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FIFA boss Infantino defends World Cup ticket prices
06th May, 2026 12:48 PM
FIFA has faced searing criticism over the cost of World Cup tickets, with fan organisation Football Supporters Europe (FSE) branding the pricing structure “extortionate” and a “monumental betrayal.”
FSE filed a lawsuit with the European Commission in March targeting FIFA over excessive ticket prices for the tournament. FIFA’s own World Cup resale website, FIFA Marketplace, last week advertised four tickets to the July 19 final in New York at a cost of more than Ksh268 million each.
“If some people put on the resale market, some tickets for the final at Ksh268 million, number one, it doesn’t mean that the tickets cost Ksh 268 million,” Infantino said. “And number two, it doesn’t mean that somebody will buy these tickets,” Infantino said.
“And if somebody buys a ticket for the final for Ksh268 million, I will personally bring him a hot dog and a Coke to make sure that he has a great experience.”
2022 World Cup
Fan groups have contrasted the difference in price of tickets for this summer with the Qatar World Cup in 2022. The most expensive ticket for the final in 2022 was about Ksh 214,400 at face value, while in 2026, the most expensive ticket for the final is about Ksh1,474,000 at its original price.
“We have to look at the market, we are in the market in which entertainment is the most developed in the world. So we have to apply market rates,” Infantino said. “In the US, it is permitted to resell tickets as well. So if you were to sell tickets at a price that is too low, these tickets will be resold at a much higher price. And as a matter of fact, even though some people are saying that the ticket prices we have are high, they still end up on the resale market at an even higher price, more than double our price.”
Infantino said that FIFA received in excess of 500 million ticket requests for 2026, compared with fewer than 50 million combined for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. The FIFA leader added that 25 per cent of tickets for the group phase were priced at under Ksh40,200.
“You cannot go to watch in the US a college game, not even speaking about a top professional game of a certain level, for less than Ksh40,200,” Infantino said. “And this is the World Cup.”
However, FIFA has struggled to sell out games, including host nation USA’s opener against Paraguay.
Seats remain available for most group-stage games, albeit at exorbitant prices. Tickets for USA vs Paraguay start at Ksh150,080 and go as high as Ksh550,070, with many tickets priced at about Ksh268,000 for the June 12 match in Los Angeles. Seats in the hospitality package groupings go as high as Ksh810,700 per seat.
Tickets are still available on FIFA’s official website through its “last-minute sales” section.
