FIFA president Gianni Infantino has defended the ticket prices for the 2026 World Cup, highlighting the unprecedented demand for the tournament, which will be hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Speaking at the World Sports Summit in Dubai on Monday, Infantino revealed that FIFA received 150 million ticket requests in just 15 days.
“We have six-seven million tickets on sale … 10 million requests every single day. It shows how powerful the World Cup is,” he said.
The FIFA chief noted that this level of demand is extraordinary compared to the tournament’s history.
“In nearly 100 years of World Cup history, FIFA has sold 44 million tickets in total. In just two weeks, we could have filled 300 years of World Cups. Imagine that. This is absolutely crazy.”
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Fans from the United States topped the list of ticket requests, followed by Germany and the United Kingdom. Infantino stressed that the revenue from ticket sales supports football worldwide.
“Without FIFA, there’d be no football in 150 countries. These revenues we generate from the World Cup are reinvested to grow the game globally,” he said.
In addition, Infantino announced that Dubai will host the FIFA Best Awards next year, celebrating the top players, coaches, and teams.
“I can announce a new partnership to honor the best players, coaches, and teams here in Dubai,” he said.
“We have enjoyed the sport, and now we will enjoy even more the unity it brings to the world.”
The 2025 awards recognized France forward Ousmane Dembele as men’s player of the year and Spain midfielder Aitana Bonmati as the women’s winner.