Infantino: 508 Million World Cup 2026 Ticket Requests in Four Weeks

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has confirmed that all 104 matches of the 2026 World Cup will be "sold out," despite tickets still being available before the tournament kicks off on June 11.

Speaking to CNBC, Infantino stated, "The demand is there. All the games are sold out," noting that the second phase of ticket sales saw approximately 508 million purchase requests registered in just four weeks, for about seven million available tickets.

He added, "The requests during the main sales phase in January came from over 200 countries. We have never seen anything like this before; it's incredible." Infantino explained that football's global governing body has reserved some tickets for a last-minute sales phase, which will begin in April and continue until the World Cup concludes on July 19.

Regarding ticket prices, Infantino continued, "I think the reason is that it's in America, Canada, and Mexico. Everyone wants to be part of something special. Dynamic pricing in the United States means prices will go up or down, and tickets can also be resold on official platforms and secondary markets, so prices will also increase."

Infantino affirmed that the first 48-team World Cup edition is expected to generate approximately $11 billion or more in revenue for FIFA, adding that "every dollar will be reinvested in football in the 211 member associations."

He further stated, "The economic impact of the World Cup on the United States is estimated at around $30 billion in terms of tourism, food services, and security investments, with seven million spectators attending, attracting between 20 to 30 million tourists, and creating 185,000 full-time jobs."

Gianni Infantino concluded by saying, "It's a huge impact. I hope this impact is not limited to the World Cup but extends into the future as well."