Donald Trump Admitted he would not personally pay $1,000 (£736) to watch the United States play at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after learning how expensive ticket prices for fans had become. The event, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, will open on June 11, 2026. This is the first men’s World Cup to be held in North America since 1994, and the first time it has been expanded to 48 teams. The U.S. team is scheduled to face the Paraguay national football team at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on June 12, with the game kicking off in the early hours of June 13 to a British audience. talking New York Post, Trump was informed that tickets for the game are currently selling for about $1,000. “I don’t know the number,” Trump said. “Of course I’d love to be there, but honestly, I wouldn’t pay for it either.”
Trump says working-class supporters should still be able to attend
Trump later expressed concern that casual fans might be priced out of attending games during the tournament. “I would be disappointed if people from Queens and Brooklyn and all the people who love Donald Trump can’t go,” he said. “But, you know, at the same time, it’s been an amazing success. “I want to be able to get the people who voted for me to leave.”
FILE – FIFA President Gianni Infantino holds the FIFA World Cup Winners’ Trophy as President Donald Trump delivers a statement in the Oval Office of the White House on August 22, 2025 in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacqueline Martin, File)
Trump frequently highlighted his role in helping the United States host the World Cup during his first term as president. The 2026 tournament will be held at a total of 16 venues, with 11 stadiums in the United States, three in Mexico and two in Canada.Also read: World Cup finals seat comes with price tag of $11.5 million, despite being one of the worst in the stadium
FIFA defends prices amid growing criticism
Ticket pricing has become one of the defining issues for the 2026 World Cup since FIFA first released sales details earlier this year. Group stage ticket pricing is now based in part on the popularity of participating teams, rather than the flat rate structure used in previous tournaments. Supporter groups and fans have harshly criticized the price, with some calling it a “rip off”.
FILE – A panoramic view of MetLife Stadium during the Club World Cup semifinal soccer match between Fluminense and Chelsea in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Tuesday, July 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith, File)
Donald Trump’s comments came just hours after Gianni Infantino defended fares, which have caused huge controversy in the United States and around the world. The venue for the 2026 FIFA World Cup justifies the high ticket prices, the FIFA president told a conference in Beverly Hills on Tuesday. “We have to pay attention to the market – the market we are in is the most developed market in the world for entertainment,” Infantino said. Infantino also said earlier this week that many World Cup tickets are still cheaper than major U.S. sporting events. “We have 25 percent of the group stage tickets available for less than $300,” he said. “You can’t go to a college game in the United States for less than $300, let alone a top professional game at some level. This is the World Cup. “ According to Infantino, more than 500 million ticket requests were submitted throughout the event’s initial voting phase.
Final ticket resale prices reach extraordinary levels
Although some official ticket prices were later reduced due to affordability backlash, attention gradually turned to the resale market. The World Cup final will be held on July 19, 2026 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. According to reports, the current average price of a final ticket is about $13,000, while the average price of a ticket to the 2022 Qatar World Cup final is about $1,600. Last month, four final tickets sold online for a staggering $2.3 million (£1.69 million). Infantino responded to the lists with humor and criticism. He joked that he would personally offer “a hot dog and a Coke” to anyone willing to pay the fee before addressing the broader resale issue more seriously. “If someone sells some finals tickets on the resale market for $2 million, number one, that doesn’t mean the tickets cost $2 million, and number two, that doesn’t mean anyone is going to buy those tickets,” he said. “Resale of tickets is also allowed in the United States, so if you sell tickets at too low a price, those tickets will be resold at a higher price. “In fact, despite what some say is that our ticket prices are high, ticket prices on the resale market are still higher, more than double our price.”
FIFA still makes money from resale deals
Although FIFA does not directly control the prices set by sellers on the resale platform, The Guardian reports that the governing body still takes a fee from each official resale transaction. According to the report, FIFA charges a 15% fee from the buyer and a 15% fee from the seller for tickets sold through official resale channels. The 2026 FIFA World Cup is scheduled to take place from June 11 until the finals on July 19, with matches taking place in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
