JAKARTA - FIFA President Gianni Infantino said that many fans who have applied for 2026 World Cup tickets will try to resell them for profit on resale sites, raising ticket prices for the summer tournament in the United States (US), Mexico, and Canada.
The huge demand for the 2026 World Cup has led Infantino to say that FIFA needs to hold a draw to allocate tickets to fans and acknowledges that prices will likely be even higher on the resale platform.
On the FIFA resale market, tickets for the final are listed at prices of up to 230,000 US dollars (around Rp3.8 billion) this week.
FIFA does not resell tickets or set prices on the platform, but can make a second profit by taking a 30 percent cut of each sale.
In his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this week, Infantino said that in the US, reselling tickets on a resale platform is completely legal. There is a law for it, so FIFA allows it.
He said that all 104 matches at the 2026 World Cup will be sold out.
"So, you can be sure that these tickets, which we have to vote on because every game will be sold out, will probably be resold at a higher price. It's amazing, but it really shows the impact (the World Cup) has."
"In 100, almost 100, years of World Cup history, FIFA has sold about 50 million tickets in total. Now for the 2026 World Cup in four weeks (sales), we received a request for 1,000 World Cup tickets at once. This is unique. It's amazing," said Infantino.
This can also lead to many disappointed fans turning to resale sites, where tickets are sold for prices many times higher than the original price.
Fans reacted angrily to the pricing strategy for this year's tournament. FIFA is asking for up to $8,680 (around Rp145 million) per ticket.
However, after receiving criticism, they said they would offer a ticket option for 60 US dollars (about Rp1 million) for each match to the 48 participating national federations.
The cost can even be more expensive because sellers try to get big profits in the secondary market.
Resale sites are common in the US. Tickets can be sold for prices far above their original price. NBATickets.com hosts an official resale market for the NBA, where sellers set whatever price they want, with fees applied.
Sellers are also setting their own prices on the FIFA marketplace. The very high price list further highlights the ever-increasing cost of the tournament for fans as FIFA potentially makes more money, having sold tickets at their original price.
The ticket price list for Category 1 for the final at MetLife Stadium on July 19 is 8,680 US dollars, but the price may change because dynamic pricing will be used at the World Cup for the first time.
The lowest price for equivalent tickets on the FIFA market this week is $16,000 (about Rp268 million) - almost double.
If sold at that price, it would be worth $4,800 (around Rp80.6 million) for FIFA, based on the 30 percent cut they take.
A fan group, Football Supporters Europe (FSE), has accused FIFA of a major betrayal regarding the pricing and criticized its ticket resale platform.
Ronan Evain, Executive Director of FSE, told the Associated Press that he believes most of the tickets sold and placed on the resale platform are just for profit.
Other resale sites are also listing 2026 World Cup tickets. However, FIFA says its platform provides a safe and secure way for fans to resell tickets.
At the 2022 Qatar World Cup, FIFA took a lower cut of the resale, charging buyers and sellers 5 percent or 2 Qatari riyals (0.50 US dollars/about 8,398 rupiah), whichever is greater.
FIFA also controls the setting of resale prices, which can be higher or lower than the normal price. However, this policy has changed this time.
In a statement to AP, FIFA said it was a reflection of the treatment of the secondary market for tickets (in the US and Canada), which has a different legal treatment than many other parts of the world.
"We are focused on ensuring fair access to our matches for existing and prospective fans. FIFA's resale fee is in line with North American industry trends in various sports and entertainment sectors," said Infantino.
There were protests last month when FIFA announced the latest general release of tickets at prices ranging from $140 to $8,680.
FIFA defended its pricing model, saying it reflected existing market practices for major entertainment and sporting events in host countries on a daily basis, including football.
"We were bombarded with criticism. I was bombarded with criticism, precisely, because the ticket prices were very expensive. The main critics, of course, came from Germany and England."
"Now, the most requested ticket number 1 is the United States, number 2 Germany, and number 3 England because everyone wants to come and participate," Infantino said.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
