FIFA President Gianni Infantino has defended the ticket prices for the 2026 FIFA World Cup to be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, citing unprecedented global demand and the need for tournament revenues to support football development worldwide.
Infantino spoke on Monday at the World Sports Summit in Dubai, where he said the volume of ticket requests highlighted the competition’s global appeal despite criticism from fans over prices that are higher than those recorded at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
He disclosed that FIFA placed between six and seven million tickets on sale and received about 150 million requests within just 15 days, translating to roughly 10 million requests per day. According to him, the level of demand is unlike anything previously recorded in the tournament’s history.
Infantino noted that over nearly a century of World Cup competitions, FIFA has sold a total of 44 million tickets, adding that the volume of requests received within two weeks alone could have filled hundreds of editions of the tournament.
Addressing concerns about affordability, he said FIFA had introduced a $60 ticket category targeted at fans from countries that have qualified for the World Cup. He also revealed that fans from the United States submitted the highest number of ticket requests, followed by Germany and the United Kingdom.
The FIFA president stressed that revenues generated from the World Cup are critical to sustaining football globally, explaining that the funds are reinvested to support the game in countries that would otherwise struggle to maintain football structures.
Infantino also announced that Dubai will host next year’s FIFA Best Awards, an annual ceremony that recognises outstanding men’s and women’s players, coaches and teams, based on votes from fans, media representatives, national team captains and coaches.
He said the new partnership would see the awards celebrated in Dubai, adding that football’s unifying power would be at the centre of the event.
At the 2025 FIFA Best Awards, France forward Ousmane Dembélé was named Men’s Player of the Year, while Spain midfielder Aitana Bonmatí won the Women’s Player of the Year award.
