FIFA pres. on ticket prices: The World Cup being in America is a 'once-in-a-lifetime opportunity'

Summary

FIFA President Gianni Infantino and AB InBev CEO Michel Doukeris discuss the 2026 World Cup's economic impact, sponsorship benefits, ticket demand, and beer pricing. Infantino highlights doubled revenues for FIFA, 500 million ticket requests, and a projected $40 billion US economic boost. Doukeris quantifies a significant sales uplift for AB InBev from the sponsorship and explains the company's stable inflation-based pricing strategy amid rising aluminum costs.

• Infantino expects FIFA's revenues to double versus the last World Cup, driven by North America's commercial pull.
• AB InBev's Doukeris says World Cup sponsorship adds 25 basis points to annual sales and 2-2.5% in a given month.
• Infantino downplays weak hotel booking reports, citing growing excitement and 500 million ticket requests globally.
• Doukeris details that AB InBev prices consistently with inflation, using FX and productivity to offset input cost spikes like aluminum.
• Infantino projects $40 billion in US economic impact and hundreds of thousands of long-term jobs from hosting the tournament.
• Long-term potential is seen in boosting US soccer investment from its current 3% share of the global soccer GDP.