2026 World Cup: Record-Breaking Business That Excludes the Average Fan

Attending a 2026 World Cup match can cost as much as buying a car or even an apartment. Although FIFA began selling more affordable tickets for fans in November (1,092 pesos), prices on the resale market have increased up to 60 times, ranging from 66,000 pesos to 22.4 million pesos. Authorities and fans in the United States, where what the world calls football is still known as soccer and has yet to find its place among the country's four major sports—baseball, American football, basketball, and ice hockey—believe a single parking spot for the final could cost around 200 dollars (3,595 pesos). This calls into question the promise of organizing "the most inclusive spectacle on the planet."

In its most recent ticket sales report, football's global governing body stated it has received over 150 million requests from more than 200 countries for an available ticket pool 30 times smaller. This expectation not only shatters records and is 3.4 times greater than the total number of spectators who attended all 964 matches across the 22 editions of the World Cup since 1930; it has also created the same wall of exclusion that thousands of average workers in Africa have faced since the start of the Africa Cup of Nations on the continent, where following their national team's matches is now nearly impossible.

"The World Cup promises to be the greatest and most inclusive spectacle on the planet," FIFA assured, despite accusations from organizations and fan groups in Europe—including FairSquare and Football Supporters Europe (FSE)—that the body violated its own statutes on political neutrality by its fawning over U.S. President Donald Trump and by creating a ticket sales system with prices almost five times more expensive than the 2022 edition in Qatar.

According to the bid document published in 2018, the full journey to the final was supposed to cost $2,242 (40,310 pesos) in the cheapest category, a third of what various groups now estimate ($6,900) at current values.

"It is a handful of people trying to extract the maximum money possible," stated the FSE collective days before FIFA President Gianni Infantino reduced the cost of basic tickets for each match to $60 (1,078 pesos), including the final. Tickets in this new category—a minimal percentage corresponding to the stadium's most distant sectors—will be managed by the national federations of the participating teams. They will define the allocation criteria and application process among "the most loyal fans;" that is, those who have attended previous matches, both home and away.

The Gap Between High Costs and Global Interest

Paradoxically, at the same time civil organizations question a ticket sales system with prohibitive figures for the average worker, the global fan interest in attending the World Cup consolidates a FIFA business model that prioritizes revenue over accessibility. As a preview of what is to come next summer, stadiums in Morocco and Algeria, whose tickets for the group stage of the Africa Cup of Nations sold out completely, recorded thousands of empty seats alongside unattainable prices on the resale market.

Thousands tried to purchase their tickets through the official portal, but they sold out almost as soon as the search began. Various reports confirmed that tickets priced at $59 (1,056 pesos) were offered for up to $590 (10,566 pesos), ten times their official value.

"There is no doubt we will make history in North America," Infantino declared yesterday regarding the figures gathered during the three sales phases for the 2026 Cup. "This overwhelming response from fans reflects the passion the world feels for football. An unprecedented celebration for the unity of this sport."

Much like the recent Club World Cup, where players were introduced onto the pitch one by one, in the style of the NBA—the world's premier basketball league—the soccer tournament is shaping up to feature halftime shows and on-field interviews.

"It will be 140 Super Bowls in one month," as Gianni Infantino warned during the group stage draw.