Seat the rich! World Cup ticket inflation reflects widening gap between haves and have-nots

The wild swings of dynamic pricing, ongoing accusations of FIFA corruption and questions of host-nation probity have created a huge backlash.

By: Stefan Szymanski, University of Michigan, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: June 10, 2026

Words: 1,441

Last Updated: 1 day, 7 hours ago

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By Stefan Szymanski, University of Michigan

In 1994, the last time U.S. stadiums hosted the World Cup, an average ticket cost US$58. The most expensive ticket for the final could be grabbed for $475.

Adjusted for inflation, that would be $131 and $1,069, respectively, in today’s prices. Fast forward 32 years and things have become a lot pricier.

In the tournament due to begin on June 11, 2026, at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico, …

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