President Donald Trump expressed disbelief at the skyrocketing ticket prices for U.S. national team games in the upcoming 2026 North America World Cup, declaring he wouldn’t shell out that kind of cash himself. The prices have soared to over 1,000 USD.
In a New York Post interview published on Thursday, Trump remarked that he had no idea they were that expensive. Of course he’d love to be there, but honestly, he wouldn’t pay that much either. He added that while he hadn’t verified the prices personally, he intended to look into it.
Trump acknowledged the tournament’s unprecedented success, stating that it’s shattering all records. It has never seen anything like it.
He continued that it’s a shame if folks from Queens and Brooklyn, and all the Trump supporters can’t attend. But at the same time, it’s a testament to its incredible success. Trump expressed hope that his voters would still find a way to attend the games.
As the North America World Cup approaches its June 11 kickoff, complaints about exorbitant ticket prices are mounting across the U.S.
According to the New York Post, the cheapest seat for the U.S.-Paraguay match on June 12 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, comes with a hefty 1,079 USD price tag.
The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) recently hiked the top ticket price for the World Cup final to a staggering 19,900 USD. This represents a massive jump from the average 1,600 USD ticket price for the 2022 Qatar World Cup final.
Soccer fans have voiced frustration, accusing scalpers of buying up tickets to resell on secondary markets. In response, FIFA released additional tickets on a first-come, first-served basis.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino defended the pricing on Tuesday, arguing that World Cup ticket prices are in line with other major U.S. sporting events.
Infantino emphasized that 25% of group stage tickets are priced under 300 USD. In the U.S., you can’t even attend a college game for less than 300 USD, let alone a pro game. But this is the World Cup it’s talking about.