The World Cup comes to North America this summer, but good luck trying to get a ticket to see a match with ticket prices approaching the level of Taylor Swift concerts. FIFA’s response to the uproar is not to release more tickets or bring costs down, but rather to employ lead Fox Sports soccer analyst Stuart Holden in a bid to sell even more expensive hospitality packages.
When it comes to journalistic integrity and broadcasters holding their rights partners accountable, Fox’s World Cup coverage often looks like state television from third world dictatorships. Regarding the very real human rights concerns about the 2022 World Cup, Fox completely sportswashed and sanitized the entire World Cup by ignoring the off-the-field issues around the tournament. Instead, Holden and Alexi Lalas showed up in traditional Qatari dress for a segment with a local influencer.
And the 2026 World Cup seems like it will be an instant replay as the broadcaster isn’t just bending to the will of FIFA, but taking an active role in helping them make as much money as possible off of fans.
In a social media post on Monday, Stuart Holden turned from soccer analyst to FIFA spokesperson by promoting hospitality packages worth thousands of dollars.
The ticket fiasco around the 2026 World Cup is a quintessential FIFA own goal. At least it’s not as embarrassing as the FIFA Peace Prize winner openly threatening to commit a series of war crimes. Then again, what could be?
Soccer’s governing body has kept ticket prices artificially high by only releasing a limited number of tickets at a time. And it’s even using dynamic pricing to raise ticket prices even more as time goes on. Resale values are through the roof with single match tickets going for hundreds of dollars at their cheapest for upper level seats.
Predictably, the reaction to Holden’s post was a social media barrage of frustration and anger over the fact that he is now being used as a pawn in FIFA’s endless thirst for money. Eat your heart out Fabrizio Romano.
Around the world, soccer is seen as the people’s game. But the financial influences across the globe are making fans feel more disconnected and more left behind than ever before.
So how does one of the faces of Fox Sports’ World Cup coverage in Stuart Holden respond? Not with a message to fans asking for patience or understanding. Not any kind of sympathy or empathy for the plight of millions of fans who feel like they are being priced out of a once-in-a-lifetime event. No, instead it’s a tone-deaf message to the 1% to give FIFA even more money. At least he has made Gianni Infantino proud.
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