Mexican President Says FIFA Should Reconsider 2026 World Cup Ticket Prices
The president stated that ticket prices ranging from $140 to $32,970 place the tournament beyond reach for most Mexicans. She called for reflection within FIFA while noting the event should serve as a gathering space beyond commercial interests.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Monday said FIFA should reflect on ticket prices for the 2026 World Cup after many described the cost as unreachable for most Mexicans. She told journalists that soccer should function as more than a business. "Soccer has to be something else," she said.
Some prices later fell while others rose, with final-match seats listed at $32,970. FIFA's resale platform offered four final tickets at roughly $2.3 million each in April. FIFA's president last week defended the pricing as appropriate for the North American market.
No immediate public response from the organization followed Sheinbaum's remarks.
Sheinbaum's government has faced criticism from social movements in Mexico City that say officials are prioritizing the tournament over other needs. Some stadium sections in Guadalajara showed empty seats during early matches. The administration has promoted a "Social World Cup" program that sets up free public viewing festivals on large screens.
Local authorities reported half a million attendees at 18 Mexico City events on June 11 for the opening match. Sheinbaum gave her opening-match ticket to a 21-year-old Indigenous female soccer player. Officials also redirected about 500 tickets to participants in the public-viewing program and distributed 88 tickets through schools.
