World Cup Pricing Crisis: When Profit Over Access Undermines Public Good

What Happened

Just days before the U.S. men's national team opens its 2026 World Cup campaign against Paraguay on Friday, NPR reports that tickets remain unsold—an unusual situation for one of soccer's most prestigious events. FIFA's ticketing website shows 132 tickets still available for the Los Angeles match, with thousands more listed on resale platforms like StubHub and SeatGeek, many selling below face value.

The culprit, according to ticketing experts quoted in the article, is simple: price. FIFA dramatically increased ticket costs for this tournament, with premium seats for the U.S. opener priced at $2,735—exceeding the final cost for the 2022 World Cup final—while even the cheapest seats start at $1,120. Even President Trump publicly stated he wouldn't pay these prices.

Why It Matters

This situation illuminates a broader tension in public policy: when major events hosted in the United States are priced beyond reach of average citizens, they cease to serve the common good. The World Cup represents an opportunity for national unity, community engagement, and economic benefit across host cities. Yet pricing structures that exclude working and middle-class Americans undermine these broader social benefits.

The fact that resale tickets are trading well below face value suggests demand destruction—people who would attend at reasonable prices simply cannot afford inflated entry costs. This represents both a market failure and a policy failure: FIFA has optimized for maximum extraction from wealthy buyers while alienating the broader public the event should serve.

Connection to Common Good Party Principles

The CGP's commitment to serving the common good means advocating for public access to events of national importance. When pricing structures systematically exclude ordinary Americans from participating in major national events, it violates the principle that public goods should benefit the public broadly, not just the wealthy. The World Cup's host status in the U.S. creates a unique opportunity to establish norms around equitable access—but only if policymakers and event organizers prioritize inclusion over maximum revenue extraction.