FIFA Receives 150 Mln World Cup Ticket Requests

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has defended ticket prices for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. He highlighted strong demand and the revenue generated for football globally.

Fan groups criticised the high cost of tickets, which were several times higher than those for the 2022 tournament. In response, FIFA introduced a $60 ticket tier to make matches more accessible for supporters of qualified teams.

Infantino said that of the six to seven mln tickets on sale, FIFA received 150 mln requests within 15 days, an average of 10 mln per day.

«In nearly 100 years of World Cup history, FIFA has sold 44 mln tickets in total. In two weeks, we could have filled 300 years of World Cups,» he said.

The majority of requests came from fans in the U.S., followed by Germany and the United Kingdom. Infantino stressed that revenues from ticket sales are reinvested into football worldwide.

«Without FIFA, there would be no football in 150 countries,» he said.

Kursiv also reports that FIFA has approved a record $727 mln in prize money for the 2026 World Cup.