March 11 (Reuters) - Dozens of U.S. lawmakers have called on FIFA to lower the cost of tickets for the 2026 World Cup, saying in a letter sent to the global soccer governing body this week that the use of dynamic pricing has turned the sporting event into an exclusionary enterprise at the expense of fans.
The letter, which was orchestrated by Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove and signed by another 68 Members of Congress, was addressed to FIFA President Gianni Infantino and said American fans and international visitors for the June 11-July 19 World Cup should have access to affordable tickets.
"The extreme high demand for World Cup tickets should not be a green light for price gouging at the expense of the people who make the World Cup the most-watched sporting event in the world," the group said in the letter that was shared on Wednesday.
FIFA did not immediately respond when asked to comment on the letter that was dated March 10 and addressed to Infantino.
Ticket prices for the World Cup being held in the U.S., Canada and Mexico have become as much a headline as the matches themselves, especially when comparing their face value to the ticket pricing summary that was originally listed in the bid book by the three host nations.
FIFA is using dynamic pricing for the first time at this year's World Cup, which is a system that allows for the cost of tickets to fluctuate based on a variety of factors including real-time demand, inventory and the popularity of an event. Tickets on FIFA's official resale platform have skyrocketed.
"This widely-criticised decision to abandon the traditional static pricing model prioritises revenue maximisation over accessibility for fans and host community residents," the letter said.
"Despite host cities’ cooperation in bringing the vision of the largest, most global World Cup in history to fruition, the consequences of dynamic pricing will make the 2026 FWC the most financially exclusionary and inaccessible to date."
The lawmakers want FIFA to "review and reconsider" the tournament policies that they say have created insurmountable challenges to fans and host cities, some of which they argue have been forced to scale back or privatise fan festivals.
Due to backlash over exorbitant prices, FIFA introduced a small number of $60 tickets that are tucked high in the top corners of stadiums and are very limited in number compared to the other categories.
In their letter, the lawmakers asked if FIFA will redistributed unallocated bands of tickets at more affordable prices, preventing price inflation as teams advance, reconsidering dynamic pricing in favour of a static model for future tournaments, and giving host cities more flexibility to fund and host fan festivals for those unable to attend matches.
"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," the letter said.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
