As a month ticks by until the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and concerns grow over tickets still being unsold despite FIFA president Gianni Infantino stating the demand would be the equivalent of “1000 years of World Cups at once.”
It is now believed there are tickets still available for numerous matches, while seats on the resale market are being advertised at a lower price than on the official platform. Experts argue that the world football governing body has predicted the demand may have been higher than reality, and the market might not be saturated with international demand.
The CEO of SeatPick, Gilad Zilberman, claims FIFA is “struggling” with its ticket sales, predicting they will drop prices as the time nears, but stated FIFA has also overcomplicated its dynamic pricing for its biggest tournament of all.
The three host nations of the United States, Canada, and Mexico already have numerous issues, including expensive ticket prices, complicated visa applications, and increasing travel costs. The latest report by the American Hotel and Lodging Association shows forecast hotel occupancy rates among the host cities are largely due to the decrease in international tourists.
FIFA has also developed its own resale market and will take a commission from every purchase and sale, while tickets have already been seen listed for hundreds of thousands, with one reportedly being advertised for close to £2.3million.
