In anticipation of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association’s (FIFA) 2026 World Cup, excitement for soccer’s biggest competition turned into anger from fans unable to afford tickets, highlighting public dissatisfaction with FIFA’s current ticketing model. 

Beginning on June 11, the 2026 World Cup will take place in 16 cities across Canada, the United States, and Mexico. On Sept. 10, 2025, FIFA—soccer’s official governing body—released the first phase of tickets via a lottery system. It was no surprise that the tickets were a hot commodity, with over 4.5 million applicants lined up for the initial ticket release. But FIFA’s phased and dynamic ticketing system has faced significant criticism for excluding true fans, from the public and local politicians alike. With a growing demand and no price cap on tickets, the dynamic system has the potential to raise the costs of attending to an astonishing price unaffordable for many. 

The current ticket process FIFA is using for the upcoming World Cup involves multiple phases. The initial pre-sale draw on Sept. 10 has been followed by a four-phase release that will conclude in 2026. FIFA has launched tickets for tournament games priced in four different categories, with Category 4 comprising the cheapest seats in the upper levels of stadiums, and Category 1 including the most expensive, located closest to the field. Additionally, fans can purchase venue-specific and team-specific packages for the group stage, or the first round of the tournament matches. 

Due to the demand for certain high-profile games, dynamic pricing will continue to raise the cost of these tickets closer to gameday. The cheapest ticket to the opening match is $784 CAD, and for the World Cup Final, the cheapest ‘get-in’ price runs at an exorbitant $2,842 CAD. Furthermore, no tickets are exclusively allocated for local fans. Once the official group stage draw happens on Dec. 5 in Washington DC, the World Cup’s schedule will be finalized. This means that once the matches are confirmed in each host city, the dynamic model will fluctuate prices further. 

Zohran Mamdani, New York City’s Democratic mayoral nominee, has been a leading voice in criticizing FIFA’s ticket pricing policy. Launching the Game Over Greed petition in September, he has actively called for FIFA to end its current dynamic pricing model. His petition demands a price cap on resale tickets and a 15 per cent discount for local fans, which would counteract the 15 per cent charge FIFA has imposed on sellers and buyers using its official ticket resale website.

The current World Cup ticket prices limit the opportunity for lower-income communities to attend the now-unaffordable games. This concern extends beyond fans in host nations: For global supporters, the price of a match ticket, in addition to travel costs, has left many unable to cheer on their country in person. Members of the England Fans’ Embassy have criticized ticket prices, advocating for ticket allocations for fans not affected by dynamic pricing.   

FIFA has a history of prioritizing financial gain over the love of the game in its decision-making. In December 2010, Russia was selected to host the 2018 World Cup, and Qatar was chosen to host the 2022 World Cup, despite claims that senior FIFA officials had received bribes in exchange for host nominations. No further investigation was conducted into the Russia and Qatar bids. In May 2015, seven FIFA officials were arrested on racketeering, fraud, and money laundering charges spanning over 24 years. The 2026 World Cup ticket debacle reflects this extensive history of FIFA valuing money to a criminal extent, even over the voices of soccer fans. 

With the tournament on the horizon, there is still plenty to be done. FIFA’s current ticket model misses what makes the Cup so special. From New York City to Mexico City, to the world’s most multicultural city, Toronto, FIFA must ensure a fan base from each of these urban hubs can attend games. By valuing profit over pride, FIFA blocks the excitement and joy that these thousands of fans could bring to the tournament’s atmosphere, which is what truly makes tickets worth paying for.