India, June 11 -- FIFA President Gianni Infantino has responded to criticism of ticket prices for the upcoming World Cup, amid growing scrutiny over the cost of attending matches.

FIFA initially set group-stage ticket prices from USD 140, while standard seats for the July 19 final near New York climbed as high as USD 8,680. Hospitality packages were priced at up to USD 73,200, with final-ticket prices later increasing to USD 10,990 and subsequently USD 32,970, drawing widespread criticism from fans.

In response to the backlash, FIFA introduced a special allocation of USD 60 tickets for supporters through national football federations. Infantino revealed that around 130,000 tickets had been made available under the scheme for regular fan...