The North American World Cup was billed as the biggest edition yet, with 48 teams, 16 host cities and 104 matches, but it is emerging as a record-setter for price instead. FIFA adopted dynamic pricing that pushed many tickets into the hundreds or thousands of dollars, triggering fan anger and investigations in the United States, while hotel and travel costs have also kept many ordinary supporters away.
The tournament, which opened in North America, is supposed to produce more than 6 million ticket sales and help FIFA reach a record $11 billion in revenue. FIFA says the money will later be redistributed to its 211 member associations. But instead of a broad fan celebration, many buyers have faced uncertainty over prices and allocations, and some have paid huge sums for travel and lodging. Scottish fan Davy Hood said, “FIFA took the World Cup away from the ordinary fan and sold it to the highest bidder.”
New York and New Jersey attorneys general issued subpoenas last month demanding FIFA disclose its sales practices. New York Attorney General Letitia James said, “No one should be manipulated into paying sky-high prices for seats, and fans should be able to trust that the tickets they bought are the tickets they will receive.” FIFA did not comment on the subpoenas. FIFA President Gianni Infantino argues the organization is simply charging what the market will bear, and says it is better for FIFA to collect the money than secondary-market scalpers. FIFA says it has sold 90% of the roughly 6 million tickets allocated, and expects to distribute a record $2.7 billion globally over the next four years.
The business windfall promised to host cities has also not fully materialized. About 80% of hotels in host cities reported bookings below initial forecasts, according to the American Hotel and Lodging Association, and visa problems and broader geopolitical concerns have dampened international demand. The geographic spread of the tournament, from Vancouver to Boston to Mexico City, has made travel more difficult and expensive. The sharpest backlash came over rail fares from New York to MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, which jumped from $12.90 to $150 on match days before New Jersey officials settled on $98. FIFA says it worked with host cities to reduce costs, including waiving some hosting obligations.
