FIFA President Infantino Declares 2026 World Cup Matches “Sold Out” Amid Soaring Demand

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has announced that all 104 matches of the 2026 World Cup will be “sold out,” despite tickets still being available ahead of the tournament’s kick-off on 11th June.

Speaking to CNBC from Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, Infantino stated, “The demand is there. Every match is sold out.” He revealed that FIFA had received an astonishing 508 million ticket requests in just four weeks for approximately seven million available tickets. Requests during the main sales phase in January originated from over 200 countries.

“We’ve never seen anything like that — incredible,” Infantino remarked, adding that football’s global governing body has held back “some tickets” for a last-minute sales phase, set to commence in April and conclude with the World Cup final on 19th July.

Addressing concerns raised by supporters’ associations regarding “exorbitant” ticket prices, which have already reached record levels on resale sites, Infantino attributed this to the tournament’s locations. “I think it is because it’s in America, Canada and Mexico,” he explained. “Everybody wants to be part of something special.” He noted that while official ticket prices are fixed, the “dynamic pricing” model prevalent in the US, along with official resale platforms, contributes to price fluctuations. “That’s part of the market we are in,” he added.

Infantino projected that the inaugural 48-team World Cup would generate over $11 billion in revenue for FIFA, with “every dollar” being reinvested into football across its 211 member countries. He estimated the World Cup’s economic impact on the US economy alone at around $30 billion, encompassing “tourism, catering, security investments and so on.”

Beyond the seven million spectators, Infantino anticipates the World Cup will attract an additional 20 to 30 million tourists and create “185,000 full-time jobs.” He concluded, “It’s a big impact. I hope this impact will not just be limited to the World Cup but for the future as well.”