FIFA’s Infantino defends World Cup ticket prices, says fans ‘should chill’ about ref denied U.S. entry

FIFA President Gianni Infantino comments on the ticket prices for 2026 World Cup games when compared to prices for other North American sporting events.

MEXICO CITY —FIFA President Gianni Infantino defended World Cup ticket prices, saying Wednesday “if we are doing something wrong, everyone in North America is doing something wrong.”

FIFA priced tickets starting at US$140 for the 48-nation, 104-game tournament that starts Thursday and priced regular seats up to $8,680 for the July 19 final in New Jersey. It raised prices for the final to $10,990 and then $32,970. After criticism, FIFA offered a small amount of $60 tickets to national federations for their regular supporters. He said Wednesday 130,000 tickets were offered at that price, out of 6 to 7 million total.

Infantino said the average ticket price was under $500 for the tournament and was comparable to other U.S. sports during their playoffs, a claim that while true for resale prices does not appear to be accurate for list prices. He said he was unconcerned about investigations by attorneys general in California, New Jersey, New York and Texas.

“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.”

The NBA Finals have had wildly varied get-in prices, ranging from a minimum of about $500 for the first two games in San Antonio to about $10,000 for Game 3 in New York. Game 4 in New York was much less, dropping to about $4,000 on Wednesday

The Stanley Cup Final this year between teams in Las Vegas and Raleigh, North Carolina, has included a get-in price of at least $600 for each of the first four games of the best-of-seven series.

Infantino says FIFA is powerless to get U.S. entry for denied Somali referee

Infantino said it was “unfortunate” that Somali referee Omar Artan was denied entry to the U.S. and said people “should chill.”

He said FIFA cannot dictate to governments who to let into their countries, though it is working “behind the scenes.”

“We always try to make the situation as positive as possible and to find solutions,” he said. “Sometimes we manage, other times not.”

“We don’t live on the moon, we live on planet Earth,” he said.

He thinks FIFA deserves credit for ensuring Iran’s participation

Infantino praised FIFA for working through details that allow Iran to play in the tournament at a time the U.S. is at war with Iran. The Iranian 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.

Infantino claimed the tournament will be “the biggest event probably in the history of mankind.”

This press conference went smoother than Infantino’s opening comments in Qatar

Four years ago, Infantino scolded critics during a news conference ahead of the opener in Qatar. He lectured Europeans for criticizing Qatar’s human rights record during a bizarre availability in which he claimed to feel gay, like a woman and a migrant worker, among other bizarre claims.

Now 50, Infantino has been FIFA’s president since 2010 and intends to seek another term next year that runs through 2031.

Infantino kept an empty seat at the news conference for Christophe Gleizes, a French freelance reporter given a seven-year prison sentence in Algeria last year over an interview with a soccer official accused of ties to a banned separatist movement.

AP Sports Writer Ronald Blum contributed.

Carlos Rodriguez, The Associated Press