TICKET PRICES AND HYDRATION BREAKS
Even earlier than a ball was kicked on the 2026 World Cup, debate swirled over the excessive ticket costs and the introduction of hydration breaks.
The event marked the primary time dynamic pricing was used for World Cup tickets, permitting costs to fluctuate relying on demand.
Followers complained that the price of attending matches had grow to be prohibitive, prompting FIFA president Gianni Infantino to defend the pricing mannequin on the eve of the event.
Official costs for group-stage video games had been initially set at as much as US$575 a ticket. On the 2022 World Cup, the costliest group match ticket was US$220.
By the point the event reached the ultimate, costs had climbed into 5 figures.
Tickets for the Argentina-Spain showpiece had been promoting for about US$10,000 the day earlier than the match, after peaking at over US$13,000 throughout the gross sales interval.
Throughout the 102-match event, the median get-in value was US$916.
Infantino defended the pricing mannequin once more throughout the event, pointing to packed stadiums all through the competitors.
“The stadiums are full; capability utilisation is at 99.7 per cent and it’ll doubtless attain 99.9 per cent by the tip,” he stated in an interview with Swiss tv outlet Blue Sport.
He additionally acknowledged that the introduction of hydration breaks had proved controversial.
FIFA had made three-minute hydration breaks halfway by every half necessary at this World Cup. However some followers argued that the stoppages had been much less about participant welfare than producing extra promoting income.
