By Kazeem Ajibola Shoyebo
U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly criticised the soaring cost of tickets for the United States men’s national team opening match against Paraguay national football team at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, admitting he personally would not pay the current asking prices.
Speaking in an interview with the New York Post, Trump reacted to reports that some of the cheapest available tickets for the U.S.-Paraguay group-stage clash in Los Angeles were initially priced at around $1,120 in FIFA’s standard categories.
“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.”
The remarks add further political pressure on FIFA and its president Gianni Infantino, who have faced mounting criticism over ticket affordability ahead of the expanded 48-team tournament scheduled to begin in June 2026 across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
FIFA’s pricing strategy has sparked backlash from supporters, lawmakers and even players after the organisation introduced demand-based pricing models for the tournament. Critics argue the approach has pushed ordinary fans out of the market for one of football’s biggest global events.
According to reports, tickets for several group-stage matches remain available despite the tournament being just weeks away, with prices for some premium seats climbing into the thousands of dollars. FIFA has also been criticised for allowing resale prices to surge dramatically on secondary markets.
Infantino recently defended the pricing structure, insisting FIFA was simply responding to market demand in the United States entertainment industry. He argued that reselling rules in the U.S. made higher official prices necessary to prevent scalpers from profiting excessively from resale activity.
The controversy has become one of the dominant talking points surrounding the 2026 World Cup, particularly in the United States, where fans have complained that attending matches could become financially impossible for average supporters. American midfielder Timothy Weah previously described the prices as “too expensive,” echoing growing frustration among supporters.
Trump nevertheless acknowledged the scale of the event and FIFA’s commercial success, with organisers reporting millions of tickets already sold worldwide. However, his comments are likely to intensify scrutiny of FIFA’s handling of ticket distribution and affordability as the tournament approaches.
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