FIFA Releases New Ticket Batch on May 7 — Infantino Defends Market Pricing at Milken Conference

FIFA released another tranche of 2026 World Cup tickets on May 7 at 12 p.m. Eastern Time, with resale prices on secondary markets showing modest declines as overall availability improved. FIFA President Gianni Infantino defended the tournament's controversial pricing strategy at the Milken Institute Global Conference, stating 'we have to apply market rates' — a remark met with renewed criticism from supporters groups who noted that resale prices on FIFA's own platform reached $143,750 per seat for the July 19 Final at MetLife Stadium. Over 500 million ticket applications were received for 2026, compared to fewer than 50 million combined for the 2018 and 2022 editions. The European Consumers' Organization anti-trust complaint filed with the European Commission on April 3 remains under assessment. Former Liverpool CEO Peter Moore previously branded the pricing model 'dystopian.' FIFA has sold over 5 million tickets total across all windows. The $60 'Supporter Entry Tier' covers less than 2% of total seats.