TICKET PRICES AND HYDRATION BREAKS
Even earlier than a ball was kicked on the 2026 World Cup, debate swirled over the excessive ticket costs and the introduction of hydration breaks.
The match marked the primary time dynamic pricing was used for World Cup tickets, permitting costs to fluctuate relying on demand.
Followers complained that the price of attending matches had grow to be prohibitive, prompting FIFA president Gianni Infantino to defend the pricing mannequin on the eve of the match.
Official costs for group-stage video games had been initially set at as much as US$575 a ticket. On the 2022 World Cup, the most costly group match ticket was US$220.
By the point the match reached the ultimate, costs had climbed into 5 figures.
Tickets for the Argentina-Spain showpiece had been promoting for about US$10,000 the day earlier than the match, after peaking at over US$13,000 throughout the gross sales interval.
Throughout the 102-match match, the median get-in value was US$916.
Infantino defended the pricing mannequin once more throughout the match, pointing to packed stadiums all through the competitors.
“The stadiums are full; capability utilisation is at 99.7 per cent and it’ll doubtless attain 99.9 per cent by the top,” he mentioned in an interview with Swiss tv outlet Blue Sport.
He additionally acknowledged that the introduction of hydration breaks had proved controversial.
FIFA had made three-minute hydration breaks halfway by every half obligatory at this World Cup. However some followers argued that the stoppages had been much less about participant welfare than producing extra promoting income.
