FIFA chief predicts full houses for all 104 matches at the World Cup

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has expressed confidence that every one of the 104 matches at the 2026 World Cup will be sold out, despite tickets still being available for the tournament scheduled from June 11 to July 19.

“The demand is there. Every match is sold out,” Infantino said in an interview with CNBC from U.S. President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.

Infantino revealed that FIFA recorded 508 million ticket requests within just four weeks, coming from more than 200 countries, for roughly seven million available tickets. “We’ve never seen anything like that — incredible,” he said.

The expanded 48-team World Cup will be hosted across 16 cities in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, with MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, set to stage the final.

Addressing concerns about high ticket prices, Infantino suggested the host nations play a significant role. “I think it is because it’s in America, Canada and Mexico. Everybody wants to be part of something special,” he said.

He also pointed to resale platforms as a key factor influencing price surges. While official tickets have fixed prices, secondary markets apply dynamic pricing, causing significant fluctuations. “You are able as well to resell your tickets on official platforms, secondary markets, so the prices as well will go up. That’s part of the market we are in,” Infantino explained.

Reports have highlighted the scale of markups in the resale market. According to The Straits Times, a Category 3 seat for Mexico’s opening match against South Africa on June 11 in Mexico City was listed at $5,324 on the secondary market, compared with its original price of $895. The same category for the World Cup final, initially priced at $3,450, was reportedly advertised for as much as $143,750.

In an effort to improve accessibility, FIFA introduced a “supporter entry tier” priced at $60, to be distributed through national federations for loyal fans.

For comparison, ticket prices at the 1994 World Cup in the United States ranged from $25 to $475, while the 2022 World Cup in Qatar saw prices between $70 and $1,600 after match announcements.

Infantino projected that the 2026 World Cup could generate $11 billion in revenue for FIFA, stating that “every dollar” would be reinvested into football development across its 211 member associations. He also estimated the tournament’s economic impact on the United States alone at around $30 billion, driven by tourism, infrastructure, and related spending.

Additionally, Infantino forecast the event would attract between 20 million and 30 million visitors and create approximately 185,000 full-time jobs.