Gianni Infantino Defends $2m Fifa Tickets With Hot Dog Joke
Gianni Infantino defended fifa tickets on Tuesday and dismissed the idea that a $2m World Cup final listing sets the real price of the game’s biggest seat. He said he would personally bring a hot dog and a Coke to anyone who buys that ticket, while pointing to cheaper options elsewhere in the tournament.
Infantino and the $2m final
The Fifa president said, "If some people put on the resale market some tickets for the final at $2m, number one, it doesn't mean that the tickets cost $2m, and number two, it doesn't mean that somebody will buy these tickets". He added that ticket prices are in line with other sporting events in the United States and that resale is permitted there.
Infantino also said, "In the US, it is permitted to resell tickets as well, so if you were to sell tickets at the price which is too low, these tickets will be resold at a much higher price". He told the audience that 25% of the group stage tickets can be bought for less than $300 and compared that level with a college game in the US, saying, "and this is the World Cup".
New Jersey and Toronto changes
Last month, four tickets behind the goal for the final in New Jersey were listed for just under $2.3m apiece on Fifa's resale platform. That comes as the high ticket prices for the summer's tournament have drawn significant criticism and as numerous tickets have appeared on the marketplace for five-figure fees.
Fifa has also updated its resale platform so World Cup matches in Toronto can only be sold for their original price. The change was made to comply with Ontario's recent ban on reselling event tickets above face value, and tickets for the six matches at Toronto Stadium were removed from the official marketplace last week.
World Cup resale rules
Tickets at the other 15 venues can still be listed above face value on the marketplace, leaving two different rules in place for the same tournament. Buyers in Toronto now face a capped resale market, while the rest of the host venues still allow sellers to ask above face value.
The World Cup runs from 11 June to 19 July, and the pricing fight is already part of the buildup. Infantino’s defense put the focus on the top end of the market, but his Toronto changes show that the resale rules are not uniform across the event.
