North American president criticizes amounts charged by FIFA for the opening match against Paraguay in Los Angeles
Donald Trump (Republican Party), president of the United States, stated that he would not pay the US$ 1,000 charged for the cheapest ticket to watch the opening match of the North American team against Paraguay in the 2026 World Cup. The statement was made in an interview with the newspaper , disclosed on Wednesday night (May 6, 2026). The game is scheduled for June 12 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
Trump said he was unaware of the values practiced by FIFA. “I didn’t know that number”stated the president. “I would certainly like to be there, but I wouldn’t pay for it either, to be honest with you.”
The 2026 World Cup will be the 1st edition with 48 participating teams. The tournament will feature a record 104 matches, spread across 16 host cities in Canada, Mexico and the United States. The event starts on June 11th and runs until July 19th. The final will be played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The president’s demonstration took place hours after Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, publicly defended the tournament’s pricing policy. The director participated in the Milken Institute’s 29th annual Global Conference, held at The Beverly Hilton, in Beverly Hills, California, on Tuesday (May 5).
During the event, Infantino responded to criticism from fans around the world. “We have to look at the market”stated the sports director. “We are in a market where entertainment is the most developed in the world, so we have to apply market prices.”
The FIFA president, who receives US$6 million annually at the age of 56, argued that North American legislation on ticket resale influences pricing policy. According to Infantino, as ticket resale is permitted in the US, selling tickets at very low prices would result in them being resold at even higher prices. The director mentioned an estimate of 500 million ticket requests for the tournament.
To contextualize the values, Infantino made a comparison with other sporting events held in the country. “In the US, you can’t even watch a college game — not to mention a high-level professional match — for less than US$300”these. “And this is the World Cup.”
The cheapest ticket to a game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California is $1,079 on . On Tuesday (May 5), Infantino joked about resale tickets advertised online for just over $2 million for the July 19 final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The leader promised to deliver it personally “a hot dog and a Coke” to any fan who paid this amount.
Fans in the United States and abroad complained that many of the seats were purchased by scalpers. In Europe, a group of fans filed an antitrust complaint with regulators. The pricing policy of FIFA, a tax-exempt entity based in Switzerland, was classified as “excessive”. The average cost of a ticket to the final is almost $13,000. In the 2022 World Cup, the average value for the championship decision was around US$1,600.
Trump’s concern for working-class voters
Trump expressed concern about working-class fans who are part of his voting base. “If people from Queens, Brooklyn and other places where there are Donald Trump supporters can’t go, I would be disappointed. But at the same time, this is an incredible success.”these. “I wish the people who voted for me could go.”
Despite criticism of the prices, the president recognized the commercial success of the event. “I know it is extremely successful”said the president. “It’s breaking all records. They’ve never had anything like this.” Trump praised the number of tickets already sold, which FIFA estimates at 5 million. The representative classified the volume as “record”.
A survey released by Ahla (American Hotel & Lodging Association) showed that almost 80% of hotels in the 11 North American host cities operate below initial projections for the World Cup. There are only around six weeks left until the competition starts on June 11th. In Kansas City, 85% to 90% of hotel operators reported lower demand than even a typical June or July without major events.
The AHLA report highlighted the discrepancy between ticket sales and accommodation bookings. Although more than 5 million tickets were sold, “hotel reservations haven’t kept pace”. Domestic travelers outnumber international visitors.
Hospitality industry officials have identified 3 main factors that are slowing foreign demand:
- delays in issuing visas
- high travel costs
- geopolitical concerns.
“Reserves are falling below initial forecasts”the hotel association document stated. Some hotels have described the tournament, so far, as a “non-event” in relation to previous projections. A joint study by FIFA and the WTO (World Trade Organization) estimated an economic impact of US$30 billion. Hotel bookings have not kept pace with ticket sales.
The United States will begin its campaign at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on June 12 against Paraguay. Inter Miami star Lionel Messi is set to play his sixth World Cup for Argentina when the tournament begins next month.
