FIFA President Gianni Infantino has publicly defended the steep ticket prices for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, set to be held across the United States, Canada and Mexico this summer, arguing that the tournament is the organisation's sole significant source of revenue and that secondary-market resellers — not FIFA — are responsible for the most eye-watering costs.

Speaking at Semafor's annual world economy summit in New York on Friday, Infantino pointed to FIFA's nonprofit status as justification for the pricing structure. "The main, and so far the only, revenue-generating event for FIFA is the World Cup," he said. "The World Cup takes place one month every four years, so we generate money in one month. The 47 months until the next World Cup, we spend that money." He added that FIFA distributes funding to all 211 of its member nations, and that many countries would be unable to sustain organised football without those grants.

The pricing has drawn sustained criticism from fans and consumer groups. Data from secondary-market platform StubHub illustrates the scale of costs: the cheapest available ticket for the United States' group-stage opener against Paraguay on 12 June was listed at around $1,359, while lower-bowl seats at the Los Angeles venue reached $14,000. For the final, scheduled for 19 July in the New York area, upper-deck seats were priced at $8,860 and premium lower-bowl tickets at up to $25,000. Infantino acknowledged the controversy but shifted blame onto resellers, asking rhetorically: "Who is earning money? That is the reseller, not FIFA." In response to earlier complaints, FIFA introduced a limited $60 ticket category at each venue, though the vast majority of prices remained unchanged.

Infantino also framed the high costs as a reflection of the local economy, describing North America as "a very special market" and noting that he has spent the past two to three years living in the United States to better understand it. He drew a comparison to concerts and American football games, suggesting that high ticket prices are simply how the market operates in that context.

The 2026 World Cup will be the largest in history, featuring a record 48 teams competing across 104 matches — up from the 32 teams and 64 matches of previous editions. Whether FIFA's nonprofit framing will satisfy critics remains to be seen, but the debate over accessibility and affordability is likely to intensify as the tournament approaches.