World Cup ticket prices are a red card for fans

The 2026 World Cup is facing a crisis of accessibility, with ticket prices so high that ordinary fans are being priced out of attending matches—despite the tournament being hosted in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The Financial Times reports that group stage tickets are now three times more expensive than those at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, with the cheapest tickets for a Brazil vs. Morocco match starting at $2,000 and final tickets reaching nearly $9,000. This surge is driven by FIFA’s decision to allow fans to buy up to 40 tickets and resell them at any price, creating a speculative market. Shockingly, over 180,000 tickets were initially listed for resale, but many resellers are now slashing prices—some at a loss—raising fears of 100,000 empty seats. The backlash has drawn ire from U.S. politicians, including New York Mayor Zoran Mamdani and Attorneys General Letitia James and Jennifer Davenport, who have launched investigations into FIFA for potential price manipulation and misleading fans. FIFA’s leadership, including Gianni Infantino, defends the high prices as necessary to fund football development, but critics argue the model rewards profiteering over fan inclusion. Meanwhile, Toronto’s strict anti-scalping rules—limiting resale to face value—stand in stark contrast, proving that fair pricing is possible. The episode also covers the blockbuster SpaceX IPO, which raised $75 billion at $135 per share, making it the most valuable IPO in history.