FIFA President Gianni Infantino has responded to criticism of ticket prices for the upcoming World Cup, amid growing scrutiny over the cost of attending matches.FIFA President Gianni Infantino addressed a press conference ahead of the FIFA World Cup. (REUTERS)FIFA initially set group-stage ticket prices from USD 140, while standard seats for the July 19 final near New York climbed as high as USD 8,680. Hospitality packages were priced at up to USD 73,200, with final-ticket prices later increasing to USD 10,990 and subsequently USD 32,970, drawing widespread criticism from fans.In response to the backlash, FIFA introduced a special allocation of USD 60 tickets for supporters through national football federations. Infantino revealed that around 130,000 tickets had been made available under the scheme for regular fans.The figures mark a significant rise from the previous World Cup in Qatar, where ticket prices ranged between USD 69 and USD 1,607.However, Infantino defended it and said, "If we do something wrong, then probably everyone selling tickets in North America is doing something wrong"."If you sell it at a lower price point," he said, "in this particular market it would have gone - which is perfectly legal in this country ... in secondary markets at much, much, much higher prices and where would the money go then? Well, to those who organise secondary markets or black market activities and not to football."Infantino said the average ticket price was below USD 500 for the tournament and was comparable to other US sports during their playoffs, a claim that while true for resale prices does not appear to be accurate for list prices.Major League Baseball's average World Series ticket price has been USD 350 to USD 400 in recent years and NFL prices averaged USD 230 for the wild-card round, USD 320 for divisional games and USD 450 for conference championships.Infantino said he was unconcerned about ticket probes by attorneys general in California, New Jersey, New York and Texas."When it comes to these legal investigations or complaints that were made in some states in the US," he said, "we are very relaxed about it because before starting to sell six-and-a-half or seven million tickets we check what we do with the best lawyers, with the best experts. If we do something wrong, then probably everyone selling tickets in North America is doing something wrong, as well."Infantino argued that rising ticket prices are not unique to the World Cup, pointing to major sporting events in the United States as examples of the broader trend. He cited the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs, where ticket prices have also fluctuated significantly depending on the venue and demand.Also Read - FIFA World Cup 2026 in numbers: The records, laws and history behind football's biggest tournamentAccording to FIFA's resale platform, the cheapest available ticket for the World Cup final was listed at USD 9,805. By comparison, entry-level prices for the NBA Finals varied sharply, starting at around USD 500 for the opening two games in San Antonio and rising to nearly USD 10,000 for Game 3 in New York. Prices for Game 4 in New York later fell considerably, dropping to roughly USD 4,000 on Wednesday.The Stanley Cup Final this year between teams in Las Vegas and Raleigh, North Carolina, has included a get-in price of at least USD 600 for each of the first four games of the best-of-seven series."We welcome every investigation," Infantino said. "We are happy to present everything, and we are happy to make our case."“We are not the kings of the world”: FIFA on Somali referee rowAddressing the controversy surrounding Somali referee Omar Artan's inability to enter the United States, FIFA President Gianni Infantino expressed disappointment over the situation while stressing that FIFA's influence has its limits when it comes to government decisions and immigration matters."We don't control everything. We try. We'll discuss, we will speak, we'll see. Maybe sometimes it's good as well to just chill, relax," he said. "We try to solve everything. Sometimes to immediately start screaming and shouting has the opposite effect of finding a solution. Believe me when I tell you, or don't believe me if you don't want, but we try always to find solutions, always. But then we need to respect that we are not the kings of the world who can rule over governments and police forces."Set to become the first Somali referee at a World Cup, Artan was denied entry to the US at Miami International Airport on Saturday over unspecified "vetting concerns", US Customs and Border Protection said in a statement, without giving details of the concerns."Our world is a very aggressive world and security goes above everything and you need to respect the decisions which are taken," Infantino said. "We are working behind the scenes."