Infantino: All 2026 World Cup matches to be played behind closed doors

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has said that all 104 matches scheduled for the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be played behind closed doors, despite criticism over high ticket prices and the fact that there are still tickets available before the tournament starts on June 11. "The demand is there, every match will be sold out,” Infantino told CNBC in an interview after the second phase of ticket sales closed in January. According to the world body, fan interest has been unprecedented: more than 508 million requests were registered in just four weeks, for about seven million tickets on sale, from more than 200 countries. "I've never seen anything like this before, it's incredible,” Infantino said, adding that some of the tickets had been reserved for the final sales phase, which will begin in April and continue until the final, scheduled for July 19.

• Criticism of "exorbitant” prices

The statements come amid complaints from fan organizations, who have described the prices as excessive, especially after they reached very high levels on resale platforms. Infantino compared the scale of the event to that of the final of the American professional football league: "It's like, in a single month, you have 104 editions of the Super Bowl. Obviously, this influences the prices.” He explained that, especially in the United States, the dynamic pricing system operates, which means that ticket prices vary depending on demand and the importance of the match. In addition, tickets can be resold on official platforms, where the values increase further depending on the market.

• Record revenue for FIFA

The 2026 tournament will be historic, the first to feature 48 teams and be hosted simultaneously by three countries: the United States, Canada and Mexico. The FIFA president has estimated that the total revenue generated by the competition will reach around $11 billion, possibly even more.