Infantino defends World Cup ticket prices, dismisses referee US entry dispute
Summary
FIFA President Gianni Infantino defended the high ticket prices for the upcoming expanded 48-nation World Cup, saying the prices reflect the North American market and that FIFA cannot control U.S. visa decisions. He also said FIFA made efforts to help Iran’s team enter the U.S. and dismissed concerns about a Somali referee being denied entry.Key Facts
- The 2026 World Cup will feature 48 teams and 104 games.
- Ticket prices start at $140 for group matches but can go up to $73,200 for hospitality seats and over $32,000 for some final match tickets.
- FIFA offered 130,000 tickets at $60 to national federations for regular fans.
- Infantino said the average ticket price is below $500, similar to prices during U.S. sports playoffs.
- FIFA has no power to influence U.S. visa approvals but helped Iran’s team get entry.
- Several U.S. states are investigating FIFA over ticket pricing but Infantino said FIFA checked all legal matters beforehand.
- Infantino compared World Cup ticket prices to other major U.S. sports events like the NBA Finals and the Stanley Cup, which also have high ticket prices.
- FIFA aims to prevent resale prices from going to black market sellers by keeping official prices competitive.
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