FIFA President Gianni Infantino has defended the ticket prices for the next year’s World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico saying that there is heavy demand for the tickets. Earlier this month, there was an uproar on the social media about the expensive price of the tickets by different fan groups as compared to the previous edition held in Qatar. FIFA then launched a $60 ticket tier to make the games more affordable for fans of qualified teams. “We have six-seven million tickets on sale … in 15 days, we received 150 million ticket requests. So, 10 million ticket requests every single day. It shows how powerful the World Cup is,” Infantino said on Monday at the World Sports Summit in Dubai. “In the almost 100 years of history of the World Cup, FIFA has sold 44 million tickets in total. So, in two weeks… we could’ve filled 300 years of World Cups. Imagine that. This is absolutely crazy.” As per FIFA president, fans from the USA have made the highest number of ticket requests followed by Germany and United Kingdom. “What’s crucial is that the revenues that are generated from this are going back to the game all over the world,” he added. “Without FIFA there’d be no football in 150 countries in the world. There is football because, and thanks to, these revenues we generate with, and from, the World Cup which we reinvest all over the world.” Dubai to host Best Awards ceremony FIFA announced Dubai as the next host of the FIFA Best Awards ceremony next year. The FIFA Best Awards honour the top men’s and women’s players, as well as coaches and teams, as voted for by fans, media representatives, captains and national team coaches. “I can announce here a new partnership we have closed together to honour the best players, coaches and teams, here in Dubai,” Infantino said. “We have enjoyed the sport, and now we will enjoy even more the unity the sport brings to the entire world.” France forward Ousmane Dembele was named men’s player of the year and Spain midfielder Aitana Bonmati won the women’s award in 2025.
‘FIFA received 150 million World Cup ticket requests’: Infantino on the craze of 2026 WC
