FIFA President Gianni Infantino has defended the controversial ticket pricing for next year’s football World Cup, citing what he calls “absolutely crazy” demands.
Speaking at the World Sports Summit in Dubai, Infantino pointed out that FIFA received 150 million ticket requests in just 15 days, or 10 million per day, for the six to seven million tickets available.
“In the almost 100 years of the World Cup, FIFA has sold 44 million tickets in total,” Infantino said. “So in two weeks we could have filled 300 years of World Cups. This is absolutely crazy.”
Following the backlash over ticket pricing, FIFA introduced a small number of more affordable US$60 tickets for all 104 matches. A FIFA official said the organisation listened to feedback and felt the new category was the right thing to do.
Infantino stressed that revenues from ticket sales will be reinvested globally, claiming football exists in 150 countries because of World Cup income.
“Without FIFA there would be no football in 150 countries in the world,” he said, though he didn’t specify the exact amounts reinvested.