Fifa hikes Club World Cup ticket prices as re-sale sites hit £5,000
Tickets for Club World Cup group games are being sold for as much as $1,707 (£1,251) because Fifa are using a controversial 'adaptive pricing' model based on supply and demand in which they can rise dramatically.
The prices rocket even further on re-sale sites with the best seats for Real Madrid's final group game against FC Salzburg in Philadelphia in the early hours of Friday being offered for an incredible $6,091 (£4,464) by StubHub on Wednesday. On Tuesday, the prices were even higher – going for as much as $8,000 (£5,864).
Fifa claim that tickets are available through their website – and are advertised as such on posters in the US – but those have already been sold and anyone wanting to buy is directed to Ticketmaster who are the official partners.
Ticketmaster also has pre-existing partnerships with most of the 12 stadiums being used for the Club World Cup. The US-based company notoriously uses 'dynamic pricing' whereby prices fluctuate based on demand so that sellers and event organisers can maximise revenue.
An 'important event info' message on Ticketmaster's website for Club World Cup sales says: 'Please note that ticket prices may change from day to day due to fluctuating market conditions.'
Fifa's argument is that the prices go down as well as up – and also that tickets for the Madrid game are still available on Ticketmaster for 'only' $169 (£124) in the 67,594-capacity Lincoln Financial Field stadium which is expected to sell out.
The issue for Fifa, it says, is that re-sale sites are allowed to buy up tickets under US law and as this tournament is being held in America they are under that country's jurisdiction. Fifa claims it cannot stop it from happening but it is its choice to partner with Ticketmaster.
It also points out that there have been allocations of tickets available to participating clubs, at lower prices, but was unable to say how many they had been given.
'Adaptive pricing', which is being used throughout the tournament, is slightly different from so-called 'dynamic pricing' because the prices are not using a semi-automated system.
The most expensive tickets available through Ticketmaster for the final at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 13 are $3,209 (£2,352) with the cheapest available for $718 (£526) at present.
Fifa has defended its approach but it leaves itself open to criticism that it is trying to maximise revenue from fans. Typically for major tournaments such as the World Cup, Fifa sets fixed prices and sells tickets via its own online portals. But it claims it is not allowed to limit that under US law.
Tickets to matches at the last World Cup in Qatar cost an average of £286 – the most expensive ever – but are expected to be considerably higher next year when 75 per cent of games will be played in the US.
A Fifa spokesperson said: 'In accordance with local market practices and regulations, and as reflected in the Ticketing General Terms and Conditions, variable pricing has been implemented for general public ticket sales for all matches in the competition since the start of the ticket sales in late 2024. This means that ticket prices have been and will continue to be adjusted based on demand and availability for each match.'
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