FIFA President Gianni Infantino said Wednesday that demand for tickets to the 2026 FIFA World Cup has reached "unprecedented" levels while defending ticket prices against criticism that costs are too high for some fans.

"We sold until today over 6 million tickets," Infantino said at a news conference in Mexico City. "The demand has been unprecedented...The number of ticket requests we received has been absolutely incredible."

With the 2026 FIFA World Cup just kicking off across the US, Canada and Mexico, a massive surge in ticket prices compared to 2022 has drawn criticism -- taking a toll on football fans' wallets and threatening to leave many on the sidelines.

Infantino said the organization recently released 130,000 additional tickets with prices starting at $60, a figure he argued compares favorably with major sporting events in North America.

"The starting price (is) at $60," Infantino said. "The market is what it is."

Addressing criticism over ticket costs, Infantino argued that selling tickets at lower prices would have fueled resale activity and driven prices even higher on secondary markets.

"If you sell it at a lower price point, it would have gone — which is perfectly legal in this country — in secondary markets at much, much, much higher prices," he said.

"Where would the money go then? To those who organized secondary market or black market activities and not to football."

Infantino said FIFA's pricing model is designed to ensure revenue generated by the World Cup is reinvested into the sport worldwide.

"Every dollar that comes in goes back to the development of football," he said. "We have one competition every four years that generates revenues."

The FIFA president also described attending the World Cup as a unique opportunity for supporters, noting that pricing reflects both local market conditions and the scale of the event.

"It is a once-in-a-lifetime experience," Infantino said. "When you are in a country, when you are in a part of the world, you need, of course, to deal with the local habits and the local customs." (Anadolu Agency)

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