The biggest sporting event on the planet starts tomorrow, and FIFA’s president spent today playing defense. Gianni Infantino held a press conference on June 10, one day before the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off across North America, addressing two of the loudest criticisms dogging the tournament: visa problems and eye-watering ticket prices.
The visa problem FIFA says it can’t fix
Infantino acknowledged the case of a Somali referee who was denied a US visa. FIFA cannot overrule government decisions on who gets in and who doesn’t, Infantino said.
Ticket prices: from $60 to $33,000
Ticket prices for the World Cup final can range from $10,990 all the way up to $32,970. Hospitality packages push past $73,200. Infantino’s defense was straightforward: the prices reflect market demand. He pointed out that entry-level tickets start at $60 and that the average ticket price sits below $500. Infantino also argued that higher prices serve a secondary purpose: deterring scalpers.
