The Athletic FC Podcast – "Are FIFA exploiting fans with World Cup ticket prices?"
Date: December 13, 2025
Host: Matt Slater (The Athletic)
Guest: Adam Crafton (The Athletic, NYC)
Episode Overview
This episode digs into the controversy surrounding FIFA’s dynamic ticket pricing model for the 2026 World Cup. Hosts Matt Slater and Adam Crafton explore whether FIFA is exploiting fans by charging exorbitant prices, and they assess the broader financial, political, and cultural implications—especially with the tournament hosted in the United States, and amidst the tangled optics of the FIFA Peace Prize awarded to Donald Trump.
Main Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Show Around the 2026 Draw: Peace Prize Chaos
[02:27–13:44]
- The episode opens with reflections on the bizarre spectacle of the World Cup draw ceremony—highlighting the mix of celebrities, politics, and PR stunts, notably the FIFA Peace Prize presented to Donald Trump.
- Adam Crafton describes the surreal atmosphere, from awkward hosting (Kevin Hart, Heidi Klum) to the Peace Prize itself:
"Kevin Haughty to me almost seemed scared, actually, to make jokes in the room." [04:41] "You had this long kind of video to explain all the wars that [Trump] stopped... a medal, a certificate, a very ugly trophy." [08:10]
- FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s political neutrality is called into question. NGOs have already submitted a letter to FIFA’s Ethics Committee over the peace prize:
"The obvious joke to make here is, FIFA has an ethics committee. Who knew about that?" —Crafton [11:16]
- Core issue: FIFA’s overt political engagement opens it up to charges of hypocrisy, especially in light of its historical demand for neutrality in member associations.
2. Trump, TV Ratings, and the Politics of US Hosting
[13:44–22:29]
- Viewership for the draw hit new highs, likely due to Trump’s visibility.
- Infantino is seen tying the success (and lucrative value) of the US World Cup to Trump's notoriety and ability to drive national conversations.
"Trump, love him or loathe him, brings viewers and viewers increase revenue... It is very hard in the United States to create national stories that the whole country is talking about." —Crafton [13:44]
- Stakeholders—especially city governments—remain unsure if matches might move for political reasons. Even Trump’s own task force, led by Andrew Giuliani, can’t guarantee venues are final:
"Can you give them a guarantee this stuff isn't going to be moved? And they still can't do that." —Crafton [13:44]
3. Interview Insights: Andrew Giuliani and US World Cup Task Force
[16:22–22:29]
- Crafton details his interview with Andrew Giuliani, who leads Trump’s White House Task Force for the World Cup.
- Giuliani frames the tournament as a showcase for unapologetic American greatness:
"President Trump represents the fact that as Americans, we don't have to apologize anymore... We can look at what America has done for Western civilization and truly celebrate that American greatness." [19:45]
- Trump’s interest in the World Cup is partly personal—he wants the ratings and is newly invested via his son Barron’s soccer passion.
- On fears that politically "blue" cities could lose hosting status: It's highly unlikely but serves as Trumpian leverage.
4. Hydration Breaks & New Commercialization
[27:11–29:41]
- FIFA introduces three-minute "hydration breaks" per half, officially for player welfare, but the hosts see a clear motive for squeezing in extra adverts.
"If you are Fox Sports in the States or ITV in the UK, how do you think these three minutes might be used, Matt?" —Crafton [27:11] "I do think you write almost like a read through you box off the screen... this hydration break is brought to you by..." —Slater [28:14]
FIFA's Ticket Pricing Model: How Fans are Paying the Price
1. Dynamic Variable Pricing Explained
[29:49–31:01]
- Ticket prices respond to demand, with FIFA taking a cut from resale (15% buyer and seller fee) on its platform.
"For those who don't know, they're using a dynamic variable pricing model, which basically means is based on supply and demand... FIFA are taking on their own resale platform... So that is kind of leading to a hell of a lot of revenue for FIFA." —Crafton [29:49]
2. Why It’s So Much Worse Than Before
[31:01–37:50]
- American fans are more accustomed to variable pricing—accepting runs of $500–$700+ per ticket for "big" games. In contrast, European fans are shocked.
- UEFA, in contrast, has announced constant, fixed prices for the upcoming Euros in Germany to avoid such gouging.
- The full trip cost for fans, including flights, hotels, and parking, can easily reach $7,000-$8,000 for two people attending just a few matches:
"For even a three day trip for two people... I think you're struggling to spend less than $7 or 8,000 for this." —Crafton [33:07]
- American cultural acceptance of high event pricing: "It's simply the price of greatness. We're doing well. It's worth more." [33:07]
3. Allocation for Traveling Fans: Strained and Outpriced
[35:01–39:27]
- Each nation’s supporters get 8% of tickets per match, with most of these not in the cheap "Category 4" and many in premium price bands.
- Example: Croatian supporters face $256 (cheapest) to $700 (most expensive) for a group match; $4,000–$8,000 for a full run of knockout tickets.
"Cheapest ticket at the Euros in Germany... was 30 Euros, 26 pounds. It's just stunning." —Slater [35:01]
- Football Supporters Europe calls on federations to halt ticket sales due to "extortionate" pricing.
4. The Spectacle at Risk
[39:41–44:30]
- Loyal traveling fans (the ones driving atmosphere and culture) are being priced out—they may only attend group games, if at all, with the rest of the ticket pool likely going to local American fans.
"The fans who sing, the fans who know the words, the fans who lift the team. They ain't coming." —Slater [39:41]
- The ticket process itself feels "exploitative"—from Visa presales to "right to buy" packages, fans are treated as cash cows:
"This is one of the most famous quotes Don Garber ever said. He was talking about people from soccer coming into the United States and treating it as an ATM. And I do think that's what FIFA are doing here." —Crafton [41:51]
5. Who Benefits?
[45:09–49:04]
- FIFA will claim to reinvest all profits in ‘development of the game’—but the hosts argue the burden falls on the wrong people: loyal fans instead of rich clubs.
"You're taking money from the wrong people, essentially, in order to do this." —Crafton [47:11]
- UEFA’s restraint is contrasted with FIFA’s extractive approach. Fans are rarely considered as real stakeholders, despite being crucial to football’s cultural potency.
"The most underrated, undervalued, but possibly the most important of all is the fan." —Slater [45:09]
Notable Quotes (with Timestamps & Attributions)
-
On the farce of FIFA’s Peace Prize:
"The obvious joke to make here is, FIFA has an ethics committee. Who knew about that?"
— Adam Crafton [11:16] -
On Trump as a ratings draw and the World Cup as a national story:
"Trump, love him or loathe him, brings viewers and viewers increase revenue and all different things around that... If he can get Trump talking about the World cup, he appears to think that is a net win."
— Adam Crafton [13:44] -
On the high cost to fans:
"For even a three day trip for two people, if you're going to a game and you're booking your hotels this week, I think you're struggling to spend less than $7 or 8,000 for this."
— Adam Crafton [33:07] -
On the erasure of fan culture:
"The fans who sing, the fans who know the words, the fans who lift the team. They ain't coming."
— Matt Slater [39:41] -
On FIFA's justification and missing the mark:
"The stakeholder, who's never talked about, and I would argue is the most underrated, undervalued, but possibly the most important of all is the fan."
— Matt Slater [45:09]
"You're taking money from the wrong people, essentially, in order to do this."
— Adam Crafton [47:11]
Final Thoughts
[49:28–50:17]
- The episode ends on the note that true accountability is missing—FIFA’s President Gianni Infantino is increasingly absent from public questioning, dodging difficult questions about commercialization and fan access.
"Access to the president, Gianni Infantino, has become an increasingly diminished commodity in recent years... We would welcome him on the podcast at any point whatsoever."
— Adam Crafton [49:28]
Key Takeaways
- FIFA’s dynamic ticket pricing model is making the 2026 World Cup the most expensive in history, particularly burdening loyal traveling fans.
- The move is alienating the core supporters who create the event’s unique atmosphere—all for maximized commercial revenue.
- FIFA’s defense—that all profits flow into global football development—rings hollow when so much is extracted from the grassroots.
- The showmanship and politicization of the tournament (from the Peace Prize to US-centric hosting politics) is shifting the World Cup’s spirit away from universality and fan culture towards spectacle and profit.
- Transparency and dialogue with fans and the wider football community are sorely lacking from FIFA as it enacts these sweeping—and, many feel, exploitative—changes.
For fans, supporters’ organizations, and even some FA insiders, the 2026 World Cup is already developing a reputation not just for its scale, but for the uncomfortable price of admission.