MetLife Stadium will host eight matches at subsequent summer time’s FIFA World Cup. (AP Photograph/Seth Wenig, File)
FIFA has defended utilizing dynamic pricing to promote tickets for subsequent summer time’s World Cup, describing the coverage as a mirrored image of an “existing and developing market practice” in North America.
Soccer’s governing physique was responding to a petition launched by NYC mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani, which known as on FIFA to ditch dynamic pricing and introduce limits on the value at which resale tickets will be bought.
Mamdani, who’s the present frontrunner forward of November’s normal election, launched his “Game Over Greed” petition on Tuesday night time and mentioned the petition has already acquired 1000’s of signatures.
The three-pronged petition calls on FIFA to finish dynamic pricing, introduce a worth cap on resale tickets, and put aside 15% of tickets at a reduced price for native residents.
“For the first time, FIFA is using dynamic pricing. They’re going to figure out, in real time, how much they can get away with charging for a ticket,” Mamdani mentioned in a social media video posted alongside the petition.
He additionally blasted FIFA for not together with a cap on resale tickets on the FIFA-operated resale platform.
“That means you can buy a ticket for 60 bucks and resell it for $6,000. Unlike the last three World Cups, there’s nothing set aside for residents,” Mamdani mentioned within the video. “This all means that the biggest sporting event in the world is taking place in your backyard and you’ll be priced out of it.”
New York Metropolis mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani speaks throughout an occasion at St. James Park within the Bronx, Sept. 10, 2025.REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton
FIFA says dynamic pricing is the norm
FIFA, nevertheless, defended its ticketing insurance policies in a prolonged assertion issued to New York News, noting that dynamic pricing is an current market follow in North America.
The governing physique mentioned it’s centered on offering “fair access” to video games at subsequent summer time’s match for each current and potential followers of the game. FIFA additionally famous that costs for group-stage tickets begin at $60, which it described as a “very competitive price point for a major global sporting event in the US.”
FIFA additionally defended its resale platform, stating that the platform will present followers trying to promote or buy tickets within the secondary market with a “safe and secure method to do so, as permitted by US legislation.”
“The fact that secondary market activity is legally open renders it necessary to have a ticketing model that reflects our responsibility to provide access to fans, while at the same time ensuring as much value as possible is retained for redistribution into the game globally,” a FIFA spokesperson mentioned in an announcement to New York News.
The spokesperson additionally famous that FIFA is a non-profit group and that every one income generated from the 2026 World Cup will likely be reinvested worldwide to gas soccer’s world improvement.
“As a matter of fact, FIFA expects to reinvest more than 90% of its budgeted investments for the cycle 2023-2026 back in the game to significantly boost global football development,” in response to FIFA.
FIFA mentioned greater than 50% of its member associations couldn’t function with out its monetary help.
In the meantime, the spokesperson confirmed that FIFA would reserve tickets for “specific fan categories” at a “fixed price.”
FIFA introduced final week that it plans to make use of dynamic pricing to promote tickets for subsequent summer time’s World Cup. On Wednesday, it introduced that the most affordable group-stage tickets would begin at $60. It has not specified what share of tickets will likely be accessible at that worth.
The Athletic has reported that non-hospitality tickets for the ultimate might rise as excessive as $6,730.
FIFA launched ticket presales for subsequent summer time’s World Cup on Wednesday morning with the launch of the Visa Presale Draw registration. Common ticket gross sales will start in October.
Dynamic pricing, which robotically adjusts ticket costs primarily based on demand, is usually related to inflated costs for standard occasions. FIFA employed the measure throughout the latest Membership World Cup in the US, however a scarcity of demand noticed ticket costs fall to simply $13.40 forward of a semi-final assembly between Chelsea and Fluminense.
Nevertheless, the World Cup is the most important sporting occasion on the planet and plenty of anticipate demand for the match to far exceed that of the Membership World Cup.
New York News has reached out to the New York New Jersey Host Committee for remark and is awaiting a response.
