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May 10, 2026
Analyzed by Llama- 4 Scout 17B 16E Instruct

FIFA triples World Cup final ticket price to $32,970, sparking US political backlash

AI Summary
FIFA has tripled the price of its top World Cup final tickets to $32,970, prompting criticism from US politicians who accuse the governing body of opaque pricing and deceptive practices.

The Price Hike

FIFA has tripled the price of its best available tickets to the World Cup final, making $32,970 seats available for the 19 July match at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The governing body listed those seats as Front Category 1 on its sales site, up from a high price of $10,990 for Category 1.

Ticket Prices for Other Matches

  • Tickets for the 14 July semi-final at AT&T Stadium in Dallas were listed at $11,130, $4,330, $3,710 and $2,705.
  • Seats for the following day's semi-final at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium were at $10,635, $3,545 and $2,725.
  • Seats for the US opener against Paraguay on 12 June at SoFi Stadium near Los Angeles were available for $2,735, $1,940 and $1,120.

Political Backlash

US politicians have expressed concerns over the high ticket prices, with Democratic representatives Frank Pallone and Nellie Pou sending a letter to FIFA president Gianni Infantino asking for details on the dynamic pricing and resale fees. They accused FIFA of misleading seat maps and restricting ticket supply to shape demand.

FIFA's Response

FIFA president Gianni Infantino defended the ticket prices, saying they are justified in the US market. He added that the governing body does not control the asking prices on its Resale/Exchange Marketplace but takes a 15% purchase fee from the buyer of each ticket and a 15% resale fee from the seller.

The Future of World Cup Ticketing

The controversy over FIFA's ticket pricing is likely to continue, with fans and politicians calling for greater transparency and affordability. As the World Cup approaches, it remains to be seen how FIFA will respond to these concerns and whether the governing body will make changes to its ticketing policy.