FIFA Defends World Cup Ticket Prices After 150 Million Requests. FIFA received around 150 million ticket requests in just 15 days for the next World Cup, according to its president. Gianni Infantino said the surge in demand highlighted the global appeal and power of the FIFA World Cup. Infantino said FIFA had six to seven million tickets on sale, averaging around 10 million ticket requests per day. Fan groups criticised high ticket prices earlier this month, prompting FIFA to introduce a new $60 ticket tier for supporters of qualified teams. The FIFA president said the revenues generated from ticket sales were reinvested into football development worldwide, supporting the sport in around 150 countries. Fans from the United States submitted the highest number of ticket requests, followed by Germany and the United Kingdom, Infantino said. Speaking at the World Sports Summit in Dubai, Infantino also announced a new partnership linked to FIFA’s annual awards. Dubai will host the FIFA Best Awards next year, with France’s Ousmane Dembélé and Spain’s Aitana Bonmatí named the 2025 men’s and women’s players of the year.