US lawmakers press FIFA on 2026 World Cup ticket prices and host-city costs

A group of nearly 70 US House Democrats have written to FIFA president Gianni Infantino calling for lower ticket prices for the 2026 World Cup and a review of the dynamic pricing model being used for the tournament.The letter, led by California representative Sydney Kamlager-Dove and signed by members including Texas representative Veronica Escobar, argues that demand should not be used to justify pricing that makes matches unaffordable for fans and residents in host markets.The lawmakers wrote: “Both American fans and international visitors should have access to tickets at affordable prices. The extreme high demand for World Cup tickets should not be a green light for price gouging at the expense of the people who make the World Cup the most-watched sporting event in the world.”They said FIFA’s approach departs from earlier messaging around accessibility when the US, Canada and Mexico hosting plan was confirmed in 2018, including projections of large volumes of low-cost tickets.The letter points to a small allocation of tickets made available via national federations at around US$60 following international criticism, but says this represents only a small fraction of total inventory.It also cites pricing indicators suggesting the least expensive group-stage tickets average above US$200, while the lowest-priced tickets for the final exceed US$4,000.Beyond ticketing, the lawmakers tied affordability to the economics of hosting, saying cities are carrying significant public costs for security, transport and infrastructure while FIFA controls the most valuable revenue streams.They referenced roughly US$625m appropriated by Congress to reimburse local law-enforcement spending and said local governments have sought additional funding of up to US$150m per host city for preparations.The letter also asks FIFA to ease restrictions that limit host committees’ ability to raise local sponsorship revenue for fan festivals, saying organisers are collectively around US$250m short and some cities have scaled back or privatised events.