Infantino shrugs off World Cup price backlash

Infantino defends – FIFA President Gianni Infantino defended World Cup ticket prices after criticism in multiple U.S. states, insisting the average price is under $500 and saying FIFA welcomed investigations. He also addressed the denial of entry to Somali referee Omar Artan and

Mexico City turned tense Wednesday as FIFA President Gianni Infantino faced a direct question about ticket prices for a tournament that kicks off on Thursday in the United States and begins at $140.

Infantino insisted the backlash missed the broader market. “If we are doing something wrong, everyone in North America is doing something wrong,” he said, pointing to how other major U.S. sports have seen prices surge during high-stakes postseason windows.

FIFA’s pricing has already become a focal point. Tickets for the 48-nation, 104-game World Cup start at $140 and run up to $8,680 for the July 19 final in New Jersey. After criticism, FIFA said it raised the final’s price to $10,990 and then to $32,970. FIFA also offered a small amount of $60 tickets to national federations for regular supporters.

Infantino argued the average ticket price is under $500 and said it is comparable to other U.S. sports during playoffs. He tied that comparison to what fans may already be seeing in the secondary market, though he did not address how that claim does or does not match list prices.

He also brushed off legal pressure from several states. Infantino said he was unconcerned about investigations by attorneys general in California, New Jersey, New York and Texas. He said FIFA checks its approach with top legal support before large-scale ticket sales begin.

“We are very relaxed about it because before starting to sell 6.5 million or 7 million tickets we check what we do with the best lawyers,” he said. “We welcome every investigation.”

When it comes to the highest prices fans are paying online, Infantino placed the blame outside FIFA’s reach. He said the secondary ticket market is beyond FIFA’s control and pointed to the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs as an example of similar price surges in other U.S. events.

His comments came alongside other politically charged issues swirling around the World Cup.

Infantino said it was “unfortunate” that Somali referee Omar Artan was denied entry to the U.S. and urged people to “chill.” He said FIFA cannot dictate which individuals governments allow into their countries, though he said it has been working “behind the scenes.”

Then he turned to Iran, praising FIFA for what he framed as the work required to keep the Iranian team in the tournament even as the U.S. remains at war with Iran. He said Iran’s team moved its training camp from the U.S. to Mexico and will fly to the U.S. before matches.

“I don’t know who else would have been able to ensure in these circumstances … Iran could come and play,” Infantino said.

For all the controversy around cost, access and eligibility, Infantino kept returning to scale and inevitability. “We don’t live on the moon, we live on planet Earth,” he said. He added that FIFA tries to find solutions whenever obstacles arise—“We always try to make the situation as positive as possible and to find solutions. Sometimes we manage, other times not.”.

And he ended with a prediction about the tournament’s historic impact, saying it will be “the biggest event probably in the history of mankind.”

FIFA Gianni Infantino World Cup ticket prices Omar Artan Iran participation attorney general investigations NBA Finals Knicks Spurs Mexico City