Rio Ferdinand on ticket prices for the 2026 World Cup and the availability of football for fans

Rio Ferdinand, former England defender, has expressed his concern about rising ticket prices for the 2026 World Cup. While speaking to The Athletic's Laurie Whitwell, Ferdinand noted that ticket prices are now almost twice as high compared to 2022. "I think this is wrong and should be analyzed," he said. “Such a situation should not occur at the next tournament.” Ferdinand, who was hired by FIFA to conduct the World Cup draw in December, admits that the problem of ticket availability is a significant challenge. An analysis by The Athletic found that Category 1 tickets to the final cost $10,990, up from $6,730 in October. Ticket prices for the group stage ranged from $140 in Category 3 to $890 in Category 1 for Colombia's match against Portugal, and even up to almost $3,000 for the opening match between Mexico and South Africa. For the first time, FIFA has used dynamic pricing, in which prices change depending on demand. "I think the same about air travel, when there are holidays they increase the prices of flights," Ferdinand continued. "Hotels are terribly expensive. 'We have the World Cup, let's raise prices.' Every industry takes advantage of such situations. This is simply a reflection of what is happening in reality.”  However, Ferdinand emphasizes that such a business model may exclude many fans from watching matches. "It's a people's sport, but when you exclude people for that reason, it becomes something else," he adds. “I would like to believe that FIFA will look at this at the next tournament and find a way to make it more accessible to more people.” Even though Ferdinand has contacts in FIFA, he admits that he has no influence on changes in the pricing policy. "This is beyond my level," he says. "But when I see people from FIFA, we talk about it. I'm not blind to it. You ask questions like, 'Why is it so expensive?' There are explanations, but it's not my area of expertise. I can only express my opinion and I think it is too expensive.” Ferdinand, who led the draw for the World Cup in Washington in January, recalls his experience there. "It was a surreal moment where you pinch yourself and say, 'Gee, I really did that,'" he says. "You had Donald Trump on stage there, the biggest names in American sports like Wayne Gretzky, Shaquille O'Neal, Tom Brady, Aaron Judge. Even Kevin Hart and Heidi Klum were in attendance and I hosted it."