FIFA President Gianni Infantino defended high ticket prices for this year’s World Cup in North America by saying that the event, which captivates the globe, is the organisation’s only source of income every four years. Speaking at Semafor’s annual world economy summit in New York on Friday, Infantino also reiterated that FIFA is a nonprofit organisation that has 211 nations as members. So we always try to find the right balance.” A check at the secondary-market ticket site StubHub on Friday showed that the most inexpensive ticket for the United States’s World Cup opener on June 12 against Paraguay was listed at $1,359, while tickets in the lower bowl of the Los Angeles venue were priced as high as $14,000 per seat.
For the World Cup final in the New York area on July 19, a single ticket in the upper deck was priced at $8,860 and as much as $25,000 in the lower bowl. After initial complaints about the ticket prices and availability, FIFA introduced a $60 option that was a small portion of each venue. The 47 months until the next World Cup, we spend that money.” Infantino called North America “a very special market,” and he said he has been living in the United States for the past two to three years in order to better “understand” the market.
A record 48 teams, organised in 12 groups of four, are playing in this year’s World Cup that will have games in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The tournament will consist of a record 104 matches.
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