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FIFA President Gianni Infantino has mounted a defence of World Cup ticket pricing despite some appearing on the resale market for $2million (£1.47m). The Italian has even joked he will provide a hot dog and a Coke for anyone willing to pay that sum.

Ticket costs have proved a contentious issue ahead of the World Cup being staged across the United States, Mexico and Canada, withFIFA facing fierce criticism. World football officials were compelled to reduce certain prices following the magnitude of backlash over the substantial fees being demanded. A limited number of 'more affordable' tickets were released for each fixture after initial outcry. These were offered to 'loyal fans' to comprise 10 per cent of each football association's quota.

Group stage fixtures are priced according to demand. England supporters are anticipated to pay more than those supporting Scotland, for instance. Tickets to watch England face Croatia in June are set at £198, £373 or £523, Ghana tickets at £164, £320 and £447, while for the Panama encounter they are £164, £346 and £462.

Infantino appears largely unconcerned about the pricing structure, however. Tickets for USA vs Paraguay begin at $1,120 (£823) and reach as high as $4,105 (£3,019) for the fixture in Los Angeles. In 2022, the most costly World Cup final ticket was approximately $1,600 (£1,176); this year it stands at $11,000 (£8,091).

"If some people put on the resale market, some tickets for the final at $2m, number one, it doesn't mean that the tickets cost $2m," Infantino said. "And number two, it doesn't mean that somebody will buy these tickets.

"And if somebody buys a ticket for the final for $2m, I will personally bring him a hot dog and a Coke to make sure that he has a great experience.

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"We have to look at the market - we are in the market in which entertainment is the most developed in the world. So we have to apply market rates. In the US, it is permitted to resell tickets as well. So if you were to sell tickets at a price which is too low, these tickets will be resold at a much higher price.

"And as a matter of fact, even though some people are saying that the ticket prices we have are high, they still end up on the resale market at an even higher price, more than double our price."

Infantino pointed out that FIFA received upwards of 500 million ticket applications for 2026, compared with under 50 million for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

"You cannot go to watch in the US a college game, not even speaking about a top professional game of a certain level, for less than $300," Infantino continued. "And this is the World Cup."

Before FIFA released additional tickets at a reduced price, the organisation faced fierce criticism. UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer welcomed the introduction of affordable tickets but urged FIFA to do more.

He said: "As someone who used to save up for England tickets, I encourage FIFA to do more to make tickets more affordable so that the World Cup doesn't lose touch with the genuine supporters who make the game so special."

Tom Greatrex, chair of the Football Supporters Association, described it as a 'hollow gesture'. He added: "What sounds like a climbdown is a cynical attempt to deflect attention while continuing to rip fans off."