Trump: “I wouldn’t pay $1,000 either”
Donald Trump has criticized the soaring cost of tickets for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, saying he personally would not pay more than $1,000 to attend a match involving the U.S. men’s national team.
Speaking in a phone interview with the New York Post, Trump reacted to reports that the cheapest widely available tickets for the United States’ opening match against Paraguay were priced at more than $1,100.
“I would certainly like to be there, but I wouldn’t pay it either, to be honest with you,” Trump said.
The comments came shortly after Gianni Infantino defended FIFA’s decision to use dynamic pricing for the 2026 tournament. The system allows ticket prices to rise or fall based on demand, a strategy commonly used in the U.S. entertainment industry.
Infantino argued that pricing reflects market conditions and helps prevent large-scale ticket reselling at inflated prices. He also suggested that major sporting events in the U.S. already command high admission costs, though some media outlets disputed his comparisons.
Trump said he hoped ordinary supporters would still have the opportunity to attend matches, especially fans from working-class communities.
“If people from Queens and Brooklyn and all of the people that love Donald Trump can’t go, I would be disappointed,” he told the Post. “At the same time, it’s an amazing success.”
The 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosted jointly by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, will be the first edition of the tournament to feature dynamic ticket pricing on such a large scale.
