Dynamic pricing is when sellers set the prices based on the demand. Prices increase when more people want them. For example, a hotel room could be normally set at $200; however, when there is a special event in town, the price could go up to $400. But during the week, less people travel, so the price could go down to $150. Since the World Cup only occurs once every four years, the demand for tickets is high, and using dynamic pricing drastically increases the price of tickets. Consequently, a ticket to the current World Cup costs $200, but an equivalent ticket to the similar game was $70 in Qatar (2022), $70 in Russia (2018), and $50 in Brazil (2014). Current tickets are too expensive for ordinary fans, and Soledad Aldao, an Argentina fan, said, “It’s like they are trying to make some business with our passion.”
Why Not to Use Dynamic Pricing in World Cups
This year, FIFA decided to use dynamic pricing for the World Cup tickets. The prices have more than doubled from those of the tickets in the last World Cup in Qatar, and many fans with ordinary incomes who have always watched the World Cup games in person can’t afford the tickets to support their countries. FIFA, the non-profit organization who runs the World Cup, should not use dynamic pricing anymore, or at least, should cap the price of the tickets.
In addition, the prices fluctuate constantly due to dynamic pricing, so trying to buy a cheaper ticket is similar to gambling, which is based on luck. It is so stressful for fans trying to purchase tickets. For instance, a fan might be buying tickets which are currently at $180. They might think that the tickets are too expensive and wait 5 minutes for them to go down only to have the price become $200. Now, they’re stressed out on whether to buy the tickets now or wait for the prices maybe to go down, which takes away from the enjoyment of watching games.
FIFA argues that dynamic pricing helps them align their ticket prices to their real values. With fixed prices, prices that are too low lead to scalpers making huge profits, and too high prices may result in empty seats with fewer fans attending. Dynamic pricing increases revenue by 15% on average. FIFA claims that they need such extra profit in order to further promote soccer globally. However, FIFA, as a nonprofit organization, shouldn’t emphasize making more profits, especially when it causes anxiety for soccer fans trying to buy cheap tickets. FIFA has been able to fund World Cups for many years, with fans paying nearly a quarter of the ticket prices now. Even with consideration of inflation, the increase in the ticket prices is exorbitant.
FIFA needs to stop dynamic pricing and let the tickets be accessible to all fans. Ultimately, the World Cup is for the love of soccer.
Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/06/world/americas/2026-world-cup-ticket-prices-argentina.html
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