Pep Guardiola slams World Cup prices
- Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said on April 24 that 2026 World Cup tickets are “so expensive” and warned the tournament risks shutting out the supporters who made it a global event. - FIFA’s latest sales windows have offered some group-stage seats at up to $700 face value, while final tickets reached $8,680 before resale listings climbed far higher on official channels. - The dispute lands weeks before the 48-team tournament opens on June 11 across the United States, Canada and Mexico, with FIFA still releasing more inventory. (fifa.com)
Pep Guardiola said on April 24 that the 2026 World Cup has become “so expensive” for ordinary supporters. (101greatgoals.com) (bolavip.com) Speaking before Manchester City’s Football Association Cup semifinal, Guardiola said the World Cup “used to be a celebration” and that fans are “the key for this business to go on.” (101greatgoals.com) (moroccoworldnews.com) The criticism comes as FIFA keeps selling tickets for the 48-team tournament, which runs from June 11 to July 19 in the United States, Canada and Mexico. FIFA said the last-minute sales phase opened on April 1 and will stay open through the final. (fifa.com) Price complaints have centered on both face-value seats and resale listings. NBC News reported in January that some group-stage tickets were priced as high as $700 at face value and that most final tickets were listed for thousands of dollars. (nbcnews.com) Al Jazeera reported on April 23 that the most expensive final ticket in the latest release was nearly $11,000. ESPN reported this month that FIFA’s December general sale ranged from $140 for the cheapest group games to $8,680 for the final. (aljazeera.com) (espn.ph) FIFA has also tried to answer affordability complaints with a lower-priced option. In December, it introduced a Supporter Entry Tier at $60 for all 104 matches, including the final, but only through national associations for fans of qualified teams. (fifa.com) Supporter groups say the cheaper tier does not solve the wider pricing problem. ESPN reported that Football Supporters Europe and Euroconsumers filed a complaint with the European Commission after accusing FIFA of “dynamic pricing” and sharply higher costs than past World Cups. (espn.ph) FIFA has said demand remains extraordinary, with nearly two million tickets sold in the first two public phases and 20 million requests logged during one draw period. The governing body says it will keep releasing tickets on a rolling basis, including same-day inventory when available. (fifa.com 1) (fifa.com 2) (fifa.com 3) Guardiola’s complaint puts one of football’s biggest coaches on the same side of an argument fans have been making for months: the sport’s biggest tournament is getting harder to afford before a ball is kicked. (nbcnews.com) (101greatgoals.com)
