Infantino Projects Full Stadiums For All 104 Matches At 2026 FIFA World Cup

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has expressed confidence that every one of the 104 matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be filled to capacity, even though ticket sales are still ongoing ahead of the June 11 kickoff.

In an interview with CNBC conducted at Mar-a-Lago, Infantino pointed to overwhelming global interest in the tournament, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

“The demand is there. Every match is sold out.”

According to him, FIFA recorded an astonishing 508 million ticket requests within four weeks, competing for approximately seven million available seats. He added that during the main ticket sales window in January, requests were submitted from more than 200 countries.

“(We’ve) never see anything like that — incredible.”

Infantino disclosed that FIFA intentionally reserved a portion of tickets for a final sales phase set to begin in April and continue until the tournament concludes on July 19.

Reacting to criticism from supporters over what many have described as soaring ticket prices — particularly on resale platforms — he explained that market dynamics are playing a significant role.

“I think it is because it’s in America, Canada and Mexico. Everybody wants to be part of something special.

“Ticket prices have been fixed but you have, in the US in particular, something called dynamic prices, meaning the prices will go up or down.

“You are able as well to resell your tickets on official platforms, secondary markets, so the prices as well will go up.

“That’s part of the market we are in.”

The expanded 48-team tournament is projected to generate more than $11 billion in revenue for FIFA. Infantino emphasized that the proceeds would be reinvested into football development across all 211 member associations worldwide.

He also estimated that the competition could inject about $30 billion into the U.S. economy through tourism, hospitality, security, and related sectors. Beyond the anticipated seven million match attendees, he projected between 20 and 30 million visitors overall, along with the creation of approximately 185,000 full-time jobs.

“It’s a big impact. I hope this impact will not just be limited to the World Cup but for the future as well.”