Will the ‘Beautiful Game’ become a rich man’s luxury? Yankee Scores dives into the pricing war between the Oval Office and FIFA.
Donald Trump has criticized FIFA for the skyrocketing ticket prices of the 2026 World Cup, admitting that he would personally decline to pay the ticket fares for some matches.
During an interview with the New York Post, Trump expressed his dissatisfaction after learning that tickets for the opener between the U.S. men’s national team and Paraguay may reach $1,000.
“I did not know that number,” Trump said. “I would certainly like to be there, but I wouldn’t pay it either, to be honest with you.”
Concern for Supporters
Trump fears many Americans may be priced out of the historic World Cup.
“I haven’t seen that, but I would have to take a look at it. If people from Queens and Brooklyn and all of the people that love Donald Trump can’t go, I would be disappointed,” he said.
“I would like to be able to have the people that voted for me to be able to go.”
The World Cup, which will be hosted across three countries: the United States, Canada, and Mexico, is the largest World Cup in history, featuring 48 national teams and 104 matches.
Gianni Infantino’s Argument
The world football governing body has been under fire for the exorbitant ticket prices.
Trump’s criticisms are a blow to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who has been defending the FIFA pricing strategy.
FIFA has maintained that attending major sporting events in the United States is exorbitant.
Infantino claimed it costs “at least $300” to attend a college sports game and emphasized that attending professional sporting events in the U.S. is far from cheap.
Public & Fan Counter-Response
However, fans have countered Infantino’s claim, pointing to the affordability of MLB and NBA games by average Americans.
On the day Infantino defended the pricing strategy, tickets for a New York Yankees versus Texas Rangers game were under $10 on secondary markets.


