MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum is calling on FIFA to take a hard look at the steep ticket prices for the 2026 World Cup, which many say are far beyond the financial reach of most Mexicans.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Sheinbaum argued that the sport of soccer should mean more than profit.
“Soccer has to be something else,” she said. “All of this should prompt reflection, even within FIFA.”
FIFA had not publicly responded to the remarks as of Monday. FIFA’s president, Gianni Infantino, defended the pricing last week, saying the costs were appropriate for the North American market.
Tickets for games in the three host countries — including Mexico — went on sale earlier this year at prices ranging from $140 to $8,680. While some prices have since dropped, others have climbed even higher. Tickets to the championship final carry a price tag of $32,970, and resale prices go even further. In April, FIFA’s own resale platform listed four final tickets at roughly $2.3 million apiece.
Sheinbaum acknowledged that running the World Cup as a business venture is acceptable, but she emphasized that soccer should also serve as “a space for bringing people together, like all sports.”
Her administration has faced pushback from several social movements staging protests in Mexico City, with critics arguing the government is placing too much emphasis on the tournament while neglecting urgent social issues.
Meanwhile, sections of stadiums in cities such as Guadalajara have shown noticeable gaps in attendance. FIFA attributed some of the empty seats last week to fans who chose to watch from the stadium concourses rather than their assigned seats.
Since ticket prices were announced for all 104 World Cup matches scheduled across Mexico, the United States, and Canada, Sheinbaum has spoken publicly on the issue and championed a government-supported initiative called the “Social World Cup.”
The program is designed to create street festivals in Mexico City and cities throughout the country, allowing both Mexicans and visiting tourists to watch matches at no cost on large outdoor screens.
Local officials report that approximately 500,000 people attended 18 street festivals held across Mexico City on June 11 to watch the opening match, in which Mexico beat South Africa.
Sheinbaum also departed from a longstanding tradition in which the host nation’s president attends the opening match in person. Instead, she gave her ticket to a 21-year-old Indigenous female soccer player who had no way of affording one on her own.
The federal government additionally decided that public officials would surrender around 500 tickets to individuals who participated in “Social World Cup” events, while 88 additional tickets would be distributed through schools.
