Asia's first-time World Cup participants, Jordan and Uzbekistan, are preparing for their historic debut matches. Jordan faces Austria, Algeria, and Argentina, while Uzbekistan plays Colombia, Portugal, and DR Congo. Both teams boast players with European experience and aim to make a significant impact.
Asia's first-time World Cup participants, Jordan and Uzbekistan, are set to make their debuts. Jordan faces Austria, Algeria, and Argentina, while Uzbekistan plays Colombia, Portugal, and DR Congo. Both teams have players with European experience and aim to prove themselves on the global stage.
A new barometer reveals that French people are less inclined to attend festivals and concerts in 2026, primarily due to budget constraints and growing dissatisfaction with dynamic pricing, which is seen as inflating ticket costs and potentially enabling scams.
Fifa’s embrace of dynamic pricing and resale markets has led to sky-high costs and a speculative free-for-all, betraying the spirit of the beautiful gameIn What Money Can’t Buy, his 2012 critique of a world where everything is for sale, Michael Sandel laments what he calls “the skyboxification of American life”. Price gouging and profiteering, Mr Sandel notes, can exclude millions from communal experiences that should unite people, rather than divide them according to the size of their wallets. That is “not good for democracy, nor is it a satisfying way to live”.Ahead of the men’s World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico next month, millions of football fans would readily agree with the Harvard philosopher. Gianni Infantino, the president of the sport’s global governing body, Fifa, has predicted that this summer’s tournament will be the “greatest and most inclusive … ever”. But the lead-up has been overshadowed by a ticketing strategy that is almost surreally indifferent to the battered traditions of “the people’s game”.Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...
Average cost of one ticket claimed to be $3,000 (£2,200)Fifa insists terms and conditions of sale were made clearNumerous Football Associations have been hit by increased prices when buying World Cup tickets for their players’ family and friends, with teams competing at the tournament affected by Fifa’s dynamic pricing model. While Fifa offered all national associations that have qualified for the World Cup a six-week window to buy tickets at a fixed price after the draw in December, any requests for tickets from the end of January have been subject to what Fifa describes as “adaptive pricing”, with the cost rising for most matches.An executive at one national association said they had requested hundreds of additional tickets in recent weeks and have been surprised at the size of the bill. An executive at another association claimed the average cost of securing attendance at matches for their players’ family and their guests has risen to about $3,000 (£2,200) a ticket after extra purchases, a significant additional cost that will eat into their tournament funding. Fifa sources insisted the average cost of tickets bought by national associations is far lower than $3,000. Continue reading...
The Trades Union Congress has called for a ban on dynamic pricing in the gig economy, publishing a report with testimonies from Uber drivers who describe their earnings as akin to "gambling" or "waiting for the jackpot." The report, compiled with Worker Info Exchange and Nottingham Trent University, reveals that Uber introduced dynamic pricing in 2023, replacing fixed rates with opaque algorithmic pay determination. A University of Oxford study found drivers earned substantially less after the change, while Uber increased its commission from 20% to 25%.
Grocers turn to AI pricing to cut waste, protect margins and compete for deal-seeking shoppers—targeting dynamic pricing discounts.
