The International Federation of Football Association (FIFA) confirmed that it will conduct a review of its ticket sales strategy for the 2030 World Cup, following widespread anger caused by the significant rise in ticket prices for the 2026 World Cup scheduled to take place in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

In comments to journalists after the conclusion of the FIFA conference in Vancouver, Secretary General Mattias Grafström explained that the high prices reflect the “market reality in North America.”

He said, “I always understand the views and positions of the fans, but there is a wide range of ticket prices, some are low and some are high.”

He added, “We are certainly listening to the feedback and taking it into consideration, and as with every World Cup, we will carry out a review to see how we will handle the next edition.”

World Cup 2026 ticket prices are “exploitative”

The International Federation of Football Association FIFA has faced strong criticism over the rise in ticket prices, as the European football fans association Football Supporters Europe described the pricing structure as “exploitative” and a “major betrayal” of fans.

The organization filed a lawsuit last month with the European Commission against FIFA, accusing it of imposing “excessive prices” for tickets to the 2026 World Cup.

For his part, FIFA President Gianni Infantino confirmed that the high prices are a natural result of strong demand.

FIFA Congress

Dynamic pricing for World Cup 2026 tickets

He said: “In the United States in particular, there is what is known as dynamic pricing, which means that prices rise or fall depending on the match.”

This week, the FIFA ticket resale platform showed an offer of four tickets for the World Cup final scheduled for 19 July at MetLife Stadium, priced at up to two million US dollars per ticket, according to reports.

Other resale platforms also show prices reaching tens of thousands of dollars for tickets to the final match.

World Cup 2026 revenues

In response to a question about whether public anger could affect the legacy of the 2026 World Cup, Grafström pointed to the expected revenues, which could reach 13 billion dollars, saying they will be reinvested into the development of football.

He said: “The real legacy also lies in how these revenues are used,” adding that the money will be channelled through the FIFA Forward program to support the development of the sport in member associations, “and this will have a real impact.”