FIFA President Infantino confirms Dubai will host the FIFA Best Awards and defends World Cup ticket prices as demand soars

Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, defended World Cup ticket pricing by pointing to the high demand.

Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, has justified the ticket pricing for the FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico next year, pointing to the significance of the money raised for the global advancement of football as well as the unprecedented demand for tickets.

Speaking Monday at the World Sports Summit in Dubai, Infantino said that despite fan groups’ complaints about the pricing being far higher than those at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the spike in ticket requests highlighted the tournament’s popularity on a worldwide scale.

“In just 15 days, we received 150 million ticket requests, and we have six to seven million tickets available for purchase,” Infantino stated. That equates to almost 10 million inquiries per day. It demonstrates the World Cup’s strength.

He went on to say that the level of demand has never been seen at the tournament before. FIFA has sold 44 million tickets for the World Cup in its nearly 100-year history. We could have filled three hundred years of World Cups in just two weeks. “This is just crazy,” he remarked.

FIFA recently added a $60 ticket category in response to worries about cost, hoping to increase match accessibility for supporters from nations who have qualified for the competition.

The United States received the most ticket requests, followed by Germany and the United Kingdom, Infantino disclosed.

The FIFA president emphasized that World Cup earnings are essential to the global survival of football in response to complaints over pricing. He stated, “It is important that the money made is reinvested in the game globally.” There would be no football in 150 countries without FIFA. Because of the money we make from the World Cup and reinvest globally, football is played in these areas.

Infantino also said that next year’s FIFA Best Awards presentation will take place in Dubai. Based on votes from supporters, media representatives, national team captains, and coaches, the yearly event honors exceptional men’s and women’s athletes, coaches, and teams.

“To honor the top players, coaches, and teams in Dubai, I can announce a new partnership,” Infantino stated. “We have loved the sport, and now we will love it even more because it unites the entire world.”

Ousmane Dembré, a forward for France, won Men’s Player of the Year at the 2025 FIFA Best Awards, while Aitana Bonmatí, a midfielder for Spain, won Women’s Player of the Year.