FIFA triples World Cup final ticket price to $32,970 amid U.S. scrutiny

FIFA has tripled the price of its top-tier seats for the 2026 World Cup final to $32,970, drawing sharp criticism from U.S. lawmakers who accuse the sport's governing body of opaque pricing and artificially restricting ticket supply, according to ABC7 Los Angeles.

The price surge affects Southern California fans directly: the U.S. national team plays group-stage matches at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, and the pricing controversy raises broader questions about FIFA's commercial conduct on American soil ahead of the July 19 final.

Category one seats at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. — site of the July 19 World Cup final — jumped from $10,990 to $32,970 in FIFA's latest ticket release, ABC7 Los Angeles reported. On FIFA's own resale marketplace, final tickets were listed anywhere from $8,970 to as high as $11,499,998.85.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino defended the increases Tuesday at the Milken Institute Global Conference. "We have to look at the market. We are in a market in which entertainment is the most developed in the world, so we have to apply market rates," Infantino said. He added that even entry-level American sports carry steep price tags: "You cannot go to watch in the U.S. a college game, not even speaking about a top professional game of a certain level, for less than $300."

On the spectacle of multimillion-dollar resale listings, Infantino was dismissive. "If some people put on the secondary, on the resale market some tickets for the final at $2 million, No. 1, it doesn't mean that the tickets cost $2 million, and No. 2, it doesn't mean that somebody will buy these tickets," he said.

Representatives Frank Pallone and Nellie Pou, both New Jersey Democrats, sent a letter to Infantino challenging the practices. "For many fans hoping to attend matches this summer, the ticket sales process has become a major point of frustration. We are deeply concerned by reports that FIFA is employing opaque pricing, shifting rules and potentially deceptive practices," the letter said, according to ABC7 Los Angeles. The lawmakers further alleged FIFA is "restricting ticket supply to shape demand," claiming tickets are withheld to manufacture scarcity even when large quantities remain unsold. They set a May 22 deadline for FIFA's response.

FIFA uses a dynamic pricing model with phased releases — including a Last-Minute Sales Phase — and collects 15% fees on both purchases and resales through its own marketplace. Semifinal tickets at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas (July 14) and Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta (July 15) range from $2,705 to $11,130. The U.S. group-stage opener against Paraguay, hosted at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, is priced between $1,120 and $2,735.

The congressional letter and Infantino's market-rate defense have set the stage for a public standoff over FIFA's commercial conduct in the United States — a confrontation that is likely to intensify as the July 19 final approaches.