President Donald Trump has said he would not pay the more than $1,000 ticket price for the United States’ opening match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, adding to growing criticism of FIFA’s pricing strategy.
“I did not know that number,” the billionaire Trump told the New York Post, adding, “I would certainly like to be there, but I wouldn’t pay it either, to be honest with you.”
The comments come as US lawmakers and international fan groups intensify pressure on FIFA over what they describe as excessive costs for the tournament, which kicks off in June.
Football Supporters Europe has already labelled the pricing structure a “monumental betrayal.”
Trump also voiced concern that ordinary American supporters could be excluded from attending matches due to the high prices, particularly those from working-class communities he says form part of his support base.
“If people from Queens and Brooklyn and all of the people that love Donald Trump can’t go, I would be disappointed, but, you know, at the same time, it’s an amazing success.”
“I would like to be able to have the people that voted for me to be able to go,” added Trump, who has previously taken credit for helping secure the World Cup for the United States during his first term in office.
The US president is known to have a close relationship with FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who earlier this week defended the organisation’s pricing model, arguing that it reflects market realities and US resale laws that permit tickets to be sold well above face value.
Infantino said FIFA had received more than 500 million ticket requests for the 2026 tournament, compared to fewer than 50 million combined for the 2018 and 2022 editions of the World Cup.
He also noted that around 25 percent of group-stage tickets were priced below $300.
Fan groups, however, have pointed to a sharp contrast with the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where the most expensive final ticket cost about $1,600 at face value, compared with roughly $11,000 for the 2026 final.
