United States President Donald Trump has criticized the $1,000-plus ticket prices for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, telling the New York Post he would not pay that amount to watch the U.S. men’s national team’s opening match against Paraguay.
“I did not know that number,” Trump said in a telephone interview late Wednesday, reacting to the cost of seats for the June 12 game at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. “I would certainly like to be there, but I wouldn’t pay it either, to be honest with you.”
The president’s remarks came hours after FIFA president Gianni Infantino defended the tournament’s pricing model, citing U.S. market rates and resale rules. Infantino said FIFA must “apply market rates” in a country where entertainment is the most developed in the world, adding that tickets sold too cheaply would be resold at much higher prices.
Trump expressed concern that working-class Americans, including his own supporters, could be shut out. “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 cheapest ticket for the USMNT’s opener is currently $1,079 on Ticketmaster, with the average cost of a ticket to the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey nearly $13,000, compared to about $1,600 for the 2022 championship in Qatar.
Trump hinted that his administration could examine the pricing. “I haven’t seen that, but I would have to take a look at it,” he said when asked about the costs.
Infantino, who has developed a close relationship with Trump, claimed 25% of group stage tickets are available for less than $300 and argued that fans cannot attend a college game in the U.S. for under that amount. He also joked about resale tickets for the final being listed for just over $2 million, saying he would personally deliver “a hot dog and a Coke” to any fan who paid that price.
FIFA has received more than 500 million ticket requests for the 2026 tournament, compared with fewer than 50 million combined for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. The 2026 World Cup will be played across the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, 2026.
The tournament is being held, at least partially, on U.S. soil for the first time in over three decades. TicketData.com said the current average price for group stage games is $567, down from $684 two weeks ago.
