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As the most expensive ticket for the 2026 World Cup now reaches $11.5M, FIFA has been called out for its greedy approach to ticket sales.
Preparation for the upcoming tournament has not been smooth, to say the least. FIFA was blasted for ruining a mural in Dallas last month, while plans for a half-time show in the World Cup final have been lamented by football fans around the globe.
Ticket prices have been a hot topic in the lead-up to the event, too. Supporters are not happy with FIFA’s dynamic pricing approach, and it sounds like things only escalated following more news of ticketing prices.
The most expensive World Cup ticket is now listed at $11.5M
At the end of April, World Cup tickets soared to $2.3M based on the price listed in a resale window by FIFA. While that is just an asking price, the organization was slammed for even letting the amount get that high.
Now, the most expensive ticket eclipses that figure by quite some distance, as TIME reports a rather pricey ticket which is listed at $11,499,998.55 (to be precise). That ticket is obviously unlikely to sell, but it’s still attracted scrutiny for FIFA’s methods.
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Apparently, around 80% participants in a survey carried out by the American Hotel & Lodging Association said that bookings across their cities were under expectations, with fans feeling priced out of attending the tournament. Indeed, there are still vast quantities of tickets unsold despite the competition kicking off in just over a week.
When discussing FIFA’s dynamic pricing model in an interview with TIME, Kate Ashley, a professor at Northeastern University’s D’Amore-McKim School of Business said: “There is an element of greed there.”
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Meanwhile, a European-based football fan group described the strategy as a “monumental betrayal.”
In addition, Mark DiDonato, a professor at Florida State’s department of sport management, said the number of VIP attendees at this year’s tournament could be seen as “corporatization of a sporting space,” with everyday fans potentially set to be disappointed by the less authentic atmosphere at the games.
