SOCCER: American World Cup pioneer Rothenberg says dynamic pricing is here to stay

Alan Rothenberg, the architect of the 1994 World Cup in the United States, said that criticism of the dynamic ticket pricing model for the 2026 tournament reflected the fact that such practices had become commonplace in sports and entertainment.

With the expanded 48-team tournament taking place across the United States, Mexico and Canada next year, debate over ticketing has intensified, with fans expressing frustration over the model.

However, Rothenberg — who transformed U.S. soccer through his leadership as chairman of the organising committee for the 1994 tournament, as well as co-founding Major League Soccer — argues that this practice is now unavoidable.

"In 1994, there was no concept of dynamic pricing. Today, I think we're all accustomed to it for concerts and sporting events," Rothenberg told Reuters on Wednesday. "Some people are obviously priced out, which is a shame."

FIFA opened ticket sales in September, announcing surging prices, with fans paying different amounts according to market demand along their three stages and seats starting at $60.

"They start out with basic pricing and then move on to dynamic pricing. For games that might not be as attractive, with teams that are not as highly ranked, you can still get tickets at an affordable price, so there's flexibility," Rothenberg added.

Although dynamic pricing is legal when companies follow transparency and consumer protection regulations, and is normally used for hotel bookings and air travel, the practice of adjusting costs based on demand has sparked backlash.

FAN FESTIVALS

Last year, Oasis fans complained when ticket prices surged, prompting the reunited British band to abandon the model for their North American tour. Similarly, Taylor Swift opted out of it for her Eras Tour and drew criticism over Ticketmaster's pricing practices.

Rothenberg pointed to the free World Cup experiences offered by the mandatory fan festivals in every host city as an alternative.

"It'll be almost like going to a concert. You're watching it on TV instead of live, but the broadcast quality is so good that you'll probably still have a good World Cup experience, if not a better one," he said.

Rothenberg revealed that he had argued with FIFA over pricing three decades ago, when he had proposed $1,000 tickets for the 1994 final at the Rose Bowl.

"They told me fans would be upset if we charged that kind of price," he recalled. "I told them to look at the street price at that time — the tickets that the scalpers and brokers had. The street value of the game was over $1,000. Why do you want third parties to make money instead of you?"

Initially, FIFA resisted but then allowed several tickets to be sold as part of "the first hospitality package", according to Rothenberg. 'We gave them a parking pass, a programme, some souvenirs, and some light food like hot dogs."

Looking ahead to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, Rothenberg predicted similar pricing realities.

"It's commonplace now, so I can't imagine it won't happen in 2028," he said. "And if there's no dynamic pricing, guess what? It'll go to Ticketmaster resale or StubHub, and people will basically pay whatever the rate is there.

"It's a totally different world with a totally different attitude and some of us who have been around a long time may find it difficult to adjust. But that's the reality today," he added.