As excitement builds for US men’s soccer, concerns about ticket prices linger

FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. – Excitement surrounded Thursday’s practice for the U.S. men’s national soccer team as players reflected on their recent selections, FIFA World Cup hopes and the grandness of their new training facility.

And then came questions about the cost of attending matches and the mood changed.

“I don’t want to focus on ticket prices, I just want to focus on playing,” midfielder Tylers Adams said at the Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center

With tickets for the U.S. team’s opener in Los Angeles starting at nearly $1,000 on Ticketmaster and secondary markets, FIFA, the governing body of international competition, is under fire, with attorney generals from New York and New Jersey investigating whether the organization’s ticketing tactics are violating consumer protections laws.

In 2018, when FIFA selected the United States, Canada and Mexico to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, fans were thrilled. 

However, with the tournament just two weeks away, many will be forced to watch from home.

“It is the most disgraceful thing ever,” NYU student Edward Novodvorsky said. “(FIFA President Gianni) Infantino is the worst president in the history of FIFA. There are thousands of people here and only about a dozen or so are able to afford those tickets for the World Cup.”

Novodvorsky was particularly bothered when he compared this World Cup to other major soccer competitions across the globe.

“The prices for Qatar were so much cheaper than this,” he said. “The prices for the UEFA European Football Championship in two years in England are going to be so much cheaper than this. It’s ridiculous and (Infantino) understands that America has the sweet consumer folks and he is taking advantage of that to raise the prices. It’s a joke.”

Infantino responded to the criticism recently by saying ticket prices are simply a reflection of a “market in which entertainment is the most developed in the world.”

“We find these prices a little crazy. It takes away the vibe and what we enjoy about football,” said Kevin Arenas, another fan from New York. “We are here to enjoy the game, to vibe and I just find that the prices are crazy.”

Attorney Derek Howard, a professor at the University of San Francisco, told NPR there is a method to FIFA’s pricing plan.

“FIFA has been using what we might call scare tactics to create a demand for a ticket and telling people that they have to pay the high prices because if they don’t, they’re going to miss out on this once in a lifetime event,” Howard said.

Many fans don’t appreciate the approach.

“The way Gianni Infantino did it was not the way to go and I don’t understand,” said Elliott Montalvan, a member of U.S. soccer’s Barra 76 supporter group. “They have to take notes from the way that the previous World Cups did it, to be able to bring more people, more passionate people, more everyday people to visit. Because that’s what soccer is. It’s an everybody sport, not just the money sport.”

Although members of the U.S. men’s team weren’t particularly interested in talking about tickets, some were sympathetic.

“It’s tough,” forward Haji Wright said. “I mean it’s like $1,000, $1,500 per ticket for the first game in L.A., even for us.”

Forward Tim Weah said that “I think right now, I’m kind of in game mode and work mode. I think right now as players, we need to lock in.”

Adams knows the high interest in tickets means many friends he knows will reach out. 

“They’re not getting a response,” he said, laughing. “People who hit me up aren’t getting an answer.

The hype for this World Cup continues with three host countries for the first time in history. As the first games draw near, fans from around the world will convene in North America to see great soccer. The question remains: Will the average fan be able to afford tickets?

 So far, the answer is leaning toward  “no.”

Related