Former Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur superstar Gareth Bale has given his verdict on some of the off-pitch issues which have engulfed the FIFA 2026 World Cup.
Less than a week into the quadrennial event being hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico, the sport itself has been – to an extent – overshadowed by politics.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has relentlessly cosied up to US president Donald Trump in recent months and years, with a view to making this summer’s event the biggest, most commercial World Cup in history. All in all, FIFA are forecasting revenues of $13bn, which is double the total earned in Qatar four years ago.
Sponsorship and media rights will contribute billions, but the most major change in 2026 has been FIFA’s policy on ticketing.
Dynamic pricing, a FIFA-made official resale platform, a huge emphasis on lucrative hospitality and premium seating and, some experts say, the redirection of tickets to unofficial scalping websites have made this World Cup the most expensive to attend in its near 100-year history.
FIFA has made a handful of $60 tickets available for matches, while New York mayor Zohran Mamdani has taken matters into his own hands by agreeing a deal to buy tickets and allocate them to local fans who otherwise would not be able to attend. Those measures, however, are simply a drop in an ocean which FIFA expect to generate $3bn in revenue.
Bale, who played for Wales at the World Cup in 2022, has shared his opinions on the situation.
“It’s been a World Cup littered with political opinions, but it’s still a World Cup and everyone’s excited,” he said in an interview with industry publication Front Office Sports used to launch his new sports investment fund in collaboration with Juggernaut Capital.
“You want to really focus on the football. Of course, there’s the ticket prices, which I was actually listening to something yesterday about it, how outrageous they are.
“It kind of feels like it’s losing that interaction with the fan, with the people who grow up living, breathing, watching, and playing football – soccer, as you say. It feels like it’s kind of lost that a little bit.
“I would love to see everything come back a bit and give the normal fan the accessibility to just go and watch their team play, without being priced out. It’s a touchy subject, but something does need to be addressed.”
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
