The 2026 rendition of the FIFA World Cup, to be held in the United States, Canada and México, is one of the most anticipated events —never mind sports –in recent history. However, as ticket prices soar into the thousands of dollars in venues across North America, it becomes apparent that the “world’s game” won’t be enjoyed by everyone, highlighting FIFA’s greed and misunderstanding of their global fanbase.

When you think of some of the most iconic moments in World Cup history, oftentimes the situation is elevated by the fans’ reactions. Whether it be the South African Vuvuzela horns or millions of Argentinians parading in Buenos Aires after their team won the final, it is evident that fans’ emotions are integral to soccer as a whole.

Unfortunately, these kinds of fan interactions and support will be hard to come by next summer, as ticket prices for games are getting almost comically high. According to theguardian.com, prices for seats at MetLife Stadium, where the final will be held, have increased by almost tenfold. The cheapest seats, like nosebleeds, which are priced typically around $200 for sporting events, have ballooned to over $2,000 for the final on July 19. 

In contrast, according to a 2022 article from sportshistori.com, the most expensive ticket at the World Cup in Qatar was only about $1,600. Not even accounting for travel and accommodation costs, it’s clear that prices are rising at ridiculous rates. According to International Monetary Fund estimates on Gross Domestic Product per capita, 105 nations have a lower yearly GDP average than the $8,680 fixed price tag on some of the higher-end final tickets.

Recently, FIFA attempted to alleviate the price problem by selling a certain portion of tickets at a fixed price of $60. However, the 1.6 percent of stadium seats being sold in this way only equate to about 1,000 seats, with the tickets being evenly distributed to fans of the 2 teams playing. 

Tickets this year are being treated more like a lottery than a surefire transaction. You have the opportunity to enter the “Random Selection Draw” phase, just to get a chance to get tickets to a single match. Your tickets are not guaranteed, and if you are unlucky enough not to be selected, you will likely have to buy seats off a reseller at an increased price.

This year more than ever, FIFA seems to be treating the World Cup as more of a cash grab than a tournament that has the power to unite entire nations under one common interest. Only the wealthy few will be able to afford to drop almost five figures on seats, thereby undermining what the tournament is really about, something that FIFA President Gianni Infantino fails to understand.