(FIFA President Gianni Infantino via Ira L Black/FIFA via Getty Images)
This year’s World Cup will be the biggest in history. By expanding the format from 32 to 48 teams, the number of matches will increase from 64 to 104. These matches will be played across three countries — Canada, Mexico, and the United States — with 16 host cities expected to host 7 million fans across just 39 days.
But those are just the headline numbers. The reality is that this year’s World Cup is not only the biggest tournament in history; it is also (by far) the most expensive.
The cheapest tickets to see a group stage match at this year’s World Cup will cost you an average of $200, nearly 4x more than the $60 per ticket fans paid in Qatar in 2022. Fans from Brazil and Portugal will have to spend at least $4,000 to attend each of their teams’ three group-stage matches. And if you are thinking about going to the World Cup final at MetLife Stadium, think again. The get-in price for this year’s final is $2,000, handily exceeding the previous record of ~$500.
(Chart via The Economist)
FIFA will tell you these prices are justified. Their pitch is simple: The United States is the world’s largest economy and will host 75% of the tournament’s 104 matches. American sports fans routinely spend thousands of dollars attending the Super Bowl, the US Open, and the Masters Tournament. The World Cup is bigger than those events, so higher ticket prices simply reflect the heightened demand.
The only problem with this theory is that it is just a marketing story. Behind the scenes, FIFA changed its entire ticketing strategy for this tournament. And once you know what they are doing, it becomes abundantly clear that this is just pure greed (and could very well lead to last-minute deals and/or half-empty stadiums).
Here’s what you need to know:
