With everyone from soccer fans to President Donald Trump attacking World Cup ticket prices, Washington lawmakers are now pushing FIFA President Gianni Infantino for reductions and clarifications in what has become a frustrating purchasing process.
‘We are deeply concerned by reports that FIFA is employing opaque pricing, shifting rules, and potentially deceptive practices that are making it difficult for fans to access seats,’ read an open letter from Reps. Nellie Pou and Frank Pallone Jr., both New Jersey Democrats.
‘We write seeking more information about these ticketing practices, including how FIFA is ensuring that the World Cup is affordable for all fans and responding to fans who feel misled.’
New Jersey is home to MetLife Stadium, where eight World Cup matches will be played, including the Final on July 19. And while Team USA is not currently scheduled to play at MetLife, top draws such as Brazil, France, Germany and England do have group stage games in New Jersey between June 13 and 27.
Available tickets for those matchups are all upwards of $2,000, while one specific VIP-access pass for the July 19 final is being sold for $35,000.
Asked about ticket prices that are soaring into five-figure territory, even Trump, the FIFA Peace Prize recipient, took aim at the organization.
Trump admitted he wouldn’t pay $1,000 for a World Cup ticket if given the chance
FIFA President Gianni Infantino addresses the 76th FIFA Congress in Vancouver in April
‘I wouldn’t pay it either, to be honest with you,’ Trump told the New York Post when he learned the ‘get in’ price for the Team USA opener was $1,000.
The prices are not standard across the 16 North American venues for this year’s tournament. Instead, prices change depending on a number of other factors, including demand, location, and whatever takes place on the secondary market.
Infantino has not backed away from the fight, insisting that the free market is setting ticket prices.
‘We have to look at the market,’ Infantino said earlier this week. ‘We are in the market in which entertainment is the most developed in the world, so we have to apply market rates.
‘In the US, it is permitted to resell tickets as well, so if you were to sell tickets at the price which is too low, these tickets will be resold at a much higher price,’ Infantino continued. ‘Even though some people are saying that the ticket prices we have are high, they still end up on the resale market at an even higher price, more than double our price.’
MetLife Stadium is pictured on the day of the new real-grass pitch installation ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Thursday
But according to Pou and Pallone, FIFA is manipulating demand by releasing tickets in small spurts, thereby allowing ticket prices to spike.
‘Tickets are reportedly being held back for matches, creating the appearance of limited availability even when large numbers remain unsold,’ Pou and Pallone wrote in their open letter.
Infantino also attempted to defend the costs of World Cup tickets by wrongly insisting that it costs at least $300 to attend a college game in America, and that one can’t see professional sport for less than that.
As of Thursday lunchtime, tickets were available for the Yankees’ game against the Texas Rangers for $8. A Knicks playoff ticket in Philadelphia on Friday night, meanwhile, was priced at $192 on SeatGeek at the time of writing.
Nellie Pou (D-NJ) is one of two lawmakers pushing FIFA to address ticket prices
Rep. Frank Pallone is one of two New Jersey Democrats asking FIFA to ditch dynamic pricing
On Thursday, more tickets were released but FIFA’s critics continue to claim that the organization is attempting to artificially create a scarcity of supply.
Additionally, The Athletic reports that FIFA is continuing to struggle to sell tickets to some of its 104 matches throughout June and July.
A survey released by the American Hotel & Lodging Association this week, meanwhile, found that nearly 80 percent of hotels across the 11 US host cities are running below their initial World Cup projections.
There are six weeks to go until the June 11 kickoff, and some tickets on resale websites like SeatGeek are available for less than the official price on FIFA’s own platform.
