U.S. lawmakers seek transparency on FIFA WC ticket pricing - ESPN

Members of Congress, responding to fan ire over the price of tickets to upcoming World Cup matches, are pressing FIFA for an explanation.

Reps. Nellie Pou and Frank Pallone Jr., both New Jersey Democrats, sent a letter to FIFA President Gianni Infantino on Thursday asking him to explain what they termed FIFA's «opaque» use of dynamic pricing and the fury it has caused. The World Cup final will be played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

«We are deeply concerned by reports that FIFA is employing opaque pricing, shifting rules, and potentially deceptive practices that are making it difficult for fans to access seats,» the letter said. «We write seeking more information about these ticketing practices, including how FIFA is ensuring that the World Cup is affordable for all fans and responding to fans who feel misled.»

Tickets for most games in the 16 North American host cities have soared well into four figures, with individual seats for some key games exceeding $10,000.

When asked about tickets going for $1,000 and higher, President Donald Trump, the recipient of a multiyear Infantino charm offensive and a bespoke FIFA Peace Prize, reportedly told the New York Post that he was not aware of such prices.

«I wouldn't pay it either, to be honest with you,» Trump said.

FIFA has defended the ticket system, saying prices are a matter of market forces and that the organization doesn't set the prices, demand does.

«We have to look at the market,» Infantino said at a conference earlier this week. «We are in the market in which entertainment is the most developed in the world, so we have to apply market rates.»

Dynamic pricing, the recent bane of music concertgoers, has never been used for a major sporting event. The theory