Fifa’s Infantino predicted sellouts and ‘1,000 years of World Cups at once,’ but fans aren’t biting

Tickets for most of the World Cup group games remain on general sale with just over a month to go until the tournament kicks off on June 11. But prices are exorbitantly high, topping out at $4,105 for the United States’ opening game against Paraguay in Los Angeles, and many costing around $2,000. Tickets are still available on FIFA’s official website through its “last-minute sales” section after batches had been released through various phases since September. The cheapest tickets currently are $380 for seven different games, including World Cup debutant Curacao vs. Ivory Coast in Philadelphia. Prices vary dependent on the category of ticket, with Front Category 1 the most expensive and Category 4 the cheapest. Yet a Category 3 ticket for USA vs. Paraguay is listed at $1,120 compared to a Category 2 ticket for Austria vs Jordan, which is $380. Prices are also subject to change as FIFA adopts dynamic pricing for the first time at the World Cup. FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in January the demand for tickets for this year’s tournament in the U.S., Canada and Mexico was the equivalent of “1,000 years of World Cups at once”, and all 104 matches would be sold out. While only a handful of tickets remain for some games, fans willing and able to pay can still watch even the biggest nations such as defending champion Argentina, Brazil, Spain, France and England. Tickets for Lionel Messi’s Argentina range from $2,475-$2,925. For Brazil it is $2,280-$2,310. FIFA has been accused by fans of a “monumental betrayal” on ticket costs, but soccer’s governing body has repeatedly defended its pricing strategy. Fans have been further angered by the addition of more expensive categories as the tournament approaches. Many of the tickets still on general sale are for the more expensive categories. Tickets are also available via resale platforms including FIFA’s own marketplace and last month four seats for the World Cup final were listed at just