Tickets for the FIFA World Cup final are appearing on FIFA’s resale platform for staggering prices, with four lower-deck seats at MetLife Stadium listed for nearly $2.3 million (£1.71m). While FIFA runs the resale marketplace, sellers set their own prices, though FIFA collects a 15 percent fee from both buyers and sellers.
In response to criticism, FIFA said its resale fees and dynamic pricing model follow common practices in major sports and entertainment, aiming to balance demand, attendance, and fair market value.
Other listings have also raised eyebrows, including a lower-deck aisle seat priced at $207,000 and an upper-deck ticket listed for $138,000, while a nearby seat was available for $23,000. Even the cheapest final tickets on the resale market were close to $11,000 for four upper-deck seats.
Gianni Infantino defended the high prices, arguing the FIFA World Cup is FIFA’s only major revenue source every four years and that proceeds are reinvested into football development across its 211 member nations. He said many countries rely on FIFA funding to support the sport.
FIFA also recently released more World Cup tickets, including a newly introduced “front category” pricing tier. The move has triggered backlash from fans, some of whom claim better seats were held back and that they ended up with less favorable tickets than expected.