Kamlager-Dove Pushes FIFA to Lower World Cup Ticket Prices

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37) led 69 Members of Congress in urging the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) to reduce the cost of tickets for the 2026 World Cup, which have soared in part due to the use of dynamic pricing. The letter also highlights FIFA’s lack of financial support for fan festivals, a shortfall that has forced some cities to scale back or privatize events originally intended to make World Cup celebrations more accessible.

“When the tri-nation model for the 2026 World Cup was announced and confirmed in 2018, FIFA emphasized an inclusive tournament experience, including the availability of hundreds of thousands of low-cost tickets…That vision of an accessible, global celebration has been undermined by a dynamic priced ticketing model that is financially exclusionary and stands in stark contrast to the vision presented,” wrote the lawmakers.

Continued the lawmakers, “The use of dynamic pricing on FIFA-operated ticketing and resale platforms allows FIFA to capture inflated revenues while placing the burden on fans and host-city residents…For the first time in World Cup history, certain cities are taking unprecedented measures, such as charging admission for fan festivals or reducing them due to difficulty attracting visitors.”

“We urge FIFA to take immediate corrective action to address the harms caused by its use of dynamic pricing, which has transformed the world’s largest sporting event into an exclusionary, profit-driven enterprise at the direct expense of fans, host communities, and public taxpayers,” concluded the lawmakers.

The letter, which can be viewed in full here, requests that FIFA respond to the following questions:

1. Will FIFA redistribute the unallocated bands of tickets to be dedicated to affordable tickets for fans?
    
2. What measures will FIFA take to ensure that tickets remain affordable as teams advance in the tournament, particularly given that many later-round tickets have already been sold at dynamically-inflated prices?
    
3. Will FIFA commit to returning to a static pricing model in future tournaments in light of the accessibility concerns raised by the 2026 World Cup?
    
4. Will FIFA implement changes to support host cities with fan festivals, or adjust sponsorship limitations so host city committees can fundraise and host public tournament events for fans unable to attend the actual games?

In addition to Rep. Kamlager-Dove, the letter was signed by Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ami Bera, Andre Carson, Ayanna Pressley, Bill Keating, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Brad Sherman, Chellie Pingree, Chris Deluzio, Christian Menefee, Chuy Garcia, Darren Soto, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Deborah Ross, Derek Tran, Dina Titus, Doris Matsui, Dwight Evans, Emanuel Cleaver, Emilia Sykes, Emily Randall, Frederica Wilson, George Whitesides, Gil Cisneros, Gwen Moore, Hank Johnson, Herb Conaway, Jahana Hayes, Janelle Bynum, Jared Huffman, Jennifer McClellan, Jill Tokuda, Jonathan Jackson, Josh Harder, Judy Chu, Julia Brownley, Julie Johnson, Kathy Castor, Lamonica McIver, Lateefah Simon, Laura Friedman, Luz Rivas, Marc Veasey, Marilyn Strickland, Mark Takano, Mike Levin, Morgan McGarvey, Nanette Barragan, Nellie Pou, Nydia Velazquez, Pat Ryan, Pramila Jayapal, Raul Ruiz, Rob Menendez, Robin Kelly, Salud Carbajal, Sharice Davids, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Shontel Brown, Steven Horsford, Sylvia Garcia, Ted Lieu, Val Hoyle, Valerie Foushee, Veronica Escobar, Yvette Clarke, and Zoe Lofgren.

# # #