June 9, 2026
Fortune recently published an article featuring Florian Ederer, Allen and Kelli Questrom Professor in Markets, Public Policy, and Law, discussing why FIFA World Cup ticket prices in the United States have reached record levels.
The article argues that FIFA’s pricing and resale model has significantly increased costs for fans while maximizing revenue through dynamic pricing and resale fees.
New York State and City are funding a free Central Park watch party for 50,000 residents as an alternative for fans priced out of attending the final.
Ederer pointed to unusual patterns in secondary-market ticket listings, noting that large blocks of seats appearing simultaneously on resale platforms were inconsistent with typical fan behavior and could indicate unsold inventory being redistributed while official prices remained high.
FIFA’s ticketing practices have drawn regulatory scrutiny, with New York and New Jersey attorneys general investigating whether the organization misrepresented seat locations and used its ticket release strategy to artificially inflate prices.
