"Exorbitant Food Prices" Beer Costs 30,000 Won per Glass... Locals Outraged Over Record Price Gouging at the World Cup [Current Affairs Show]

Convenience Store Food Costs 80,000 Won... Profiteering Controversy
Declining Stadium Attendance... Football Fans Turning Away

This image is for illustrative purposes only and is not directly related to the content... Getty Images

■ Broadcast: The Asia Business Daily ‘So Jongseop’s Current Affairs Show’

■ Host: Political Specialist So Jongseop

■ Producer: PD Park Sumin

■ Guest: Reporter Lee Hyunwoo

The 2026 North and Central America World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, is currently underway. While the global spotlight from football fans should be on the exciting matches taking place, the main topic of discussion has unexpectedly shifted to the controversy over exorbitant prices. From the astronomical food prices at stadium concessions to ticket prices, accusations of severe price gouging have taken center stage, fueling a wave of criticism directed at FIFA.

Convenience store food at 80,000 won, a glass of beer at 30,000 won... Even locals are protesting

AP Yonhap News

The criticism escalated after a reporter from U.S. sports outlet ESPN posted on social media about his experience at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where he covered a group-stage match between Brazil and Morocco. After purchasing food at the stadium concession stand and seeing the receipt, he was shocked and shared this on his social media account, igniting a worldwide outcry.

The items he bought were everyday foods easily found at a neighborhood convenience store—salad, bottled water, a croissant, and chicken breast. Yet, the total at the register came to $52.98, which is over 80,000 won. The reporter lamented that, even accounting for high prices in the U.S., the total was excessive for convenience store-level food—enough to enjoy a meal at a nice restaurant instead.

He explained that he was so hungry he paid by card without checking the prices carefully, only to be shocked by the receipt later. He tried to get a refund but gave up because the line was too long. The video capturing the price list and his purchase quickly spread across social media worldwide, prompting reactions such as, "It’s no different from being robbed in broad daylight."

The criticism was not limited to outsiders. Local residents and football fans voiced their complaints as well. At MetLife Stadium, a bottle of water was sold for $5 (about 7,500 won), and a glass of beer cost $19 (about 29,000 won). Even a side order of chicken tenders with a hamburger was reportedly priced at $19, sparking a string of negative reactions calling this "blatant profiteering."

Sudden Ticket Price Hikes... Mounting Criticism Towards FIFA

AP Yonhap News

The issue didn’t end with food prices. Stadium ticket prices soon came under fire as well. As it became known that FIFA, which determines ticket prices, had drastically increased prices without prior notice, the criticism began to focus squarely on FIFA.

According to foreign news outlets, the lowest average price for a group-stage match ticket is $140, or about 210,000 won. Even the cheapest seats are far from affordable. The real shock comes with the final: for some seats at the final in New Jersey, prices reportedly surpassed $10,000, or over 15 million won. Reports also indicate that resale prices for these tickets have soared to $30,000, or approximately 45 million won.

There has also been analysis that FIFA raised ticket prices allocated to each country by as much as 35% compared to previous years. As public criticism grew, FIFA announced it would allocate 130,000 discounted tickets. However, even these tickets are priced at $60, or around 90,000 won—hardly cheap—leading many to question whether they qualify as "discounted." This is nearly four times the ticket price of the Qatar World Cup four years ago, further fueling public outrage.

As the controversy intensified, FIFA President Gianni Infantino stepped forward to offer an explanation. At a press conference, he argued that the $60 discounted ticket was actually lower than the price of tickets to major sporting events in the U.S. However, this explanation only provoked greater backlash. Infantino also emphasized that the revenue raised would be used to develop football, but reportedly few people believed this claim. Just as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) faced corruption scandals in the past, FIFA is now facing accusations of institutional corruption.

Even the leaders of the host countries have turned their backs. Claudia Sheinbaum, President of Mexico—one of the host nations—announced a boycott, stating that ticket prices were excessively high and that she would not attend matches held in Mexico. She even transferred her allocated opening match ticket to a 21-year-old citizen. The fact that the president of a host nation gave up her own opening match ticket underscores the depth of public resentment, showing that the controversy is far from a mere incident.

The Paradox of the "Local Price Reflection" Dynamic Pricing System

AFP Yonhap News Agency

Why did FIFA raise ticket prices to such an extent? At the core is the "dynamic pricing system" introduced for the first time at this tournament. Unlike the previous fixed-pricing system, dynamic pricing takes into account local prices, transportation, and accommodation conditions at the host city, adjusting ticket prices accordingly. FIFA claimed this would ensure prices were appropriate for local circumstances.

However, there was a critical flaw in this logic. If the World Cup had been held in a region with lower prices, ticket prices would naturally have gone down. But, as it happens, most of the cities hosting this World Cup in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada are already high-cost areas. Moreover, for the dynamic pricing system to work as intended, there needs to be competition among various sellers. Yet, World Cup tickets are sold exclusively by FIFA. In a market with no competition, the rationale of "reflecting market prices" is meaningless, and prices—especially at U.S. stadiums hosting many matches—have simply skyrocketed. This has led to growing suspicions that FIFA is overly focused on profitability.

Industry observers point to another factor behind this price hike. With the World Cup taking place amid global political instability, there are concerns about the event’s popularity, and some believe FIFA aimed to secure profits in advance. For example, at the Winter Olympics held in Milan, Italy, in February of this year, ticket sales flopped amid worsening global conditions such as the war in Ukraine, the conflict in Gaza, and rising tensions over Iran. Facing similar uncertainties, FIFA is also being criticized for raising unit prices to secure revenue, even if attendance drops.

The problem is that this high-price policy is already negatively affecting attendance. As the price controversy has spread, a significant number of football fans have given up attending matches, resulting in a noticeable increase in empty seats at stadiums. So far, more than 180,000 tickets remain unsold.

Furthermore, the increase in the number of participating teams from 32 to 48 for this tournament has added another variable. There are now more matches between countries with relatively less regional popularity, and with prices soaring, the challenge of attracting spectators has been compounded.

Are Football Fans Turning Away?... Controversy Within FIFA as Well

FIFA is not pleased with this trend. If, in the long term, spectators grow further apart from stadium attendance, it could lead to irreversible losses. Watching football on TV is a completely different experience from being there in person, and, importantly, many die-hard fans became so after visiting stadiums with their parents as children—heightening concerns.

There is growing concern that the current high-price policy could even drive away children and teenagers, who are the potential future fan base. Questions are being raised about the identity of an organization that was founded to preserve the pure passion for football, but now seems to be chasing only profitability.

This controversy is expected to spark serious discussions about the ticket pricing method for future World Cups, as well as the overall operations of host countries. If ticket prices rise too high, financially strapped nations may withdraw from hosting altogether. Within FIFA, there is growing consensus around the need for appropriate pricing, and related debates are likely to continue for some time.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.