I will not pay for that: Donald Trump surprised by the price of tickets for the World Cup of football played in North America

President Donald Trump criticized on Wednesday the ticket price for the United States-Paraguay match of the 2026 World Cup in Los Angeles, expressing surprise at prices exceeding $1,000. Faced with prices reaching $1,940 on the Fifa website, the head of state does not rule out examining this pricing.

Trump said he was unaware of the amount when asked by a tabloid about the ticket prices for the match against Paraguay on June 12 in Los Angeles.

Why is Donald Trump refusing to pay for his ticket?

The cheapest ticket is priced at $1,940 (€1,650) on the Fifa ticket sale website, and $1,150 (€980) on the Fifa resale platform.

“I would love to be there but I won’t pay that, to be honest,” he added, while Fifa President Gianni Infantino defended the pricing, stating it reflects the North American market.

The Fifa chief also mentioned that 25% of tickets for the group stage were priced at less than $300.

Will the US government intervene on ticket prices?

The American president also suggested that the government could look into ticket prices, which have been deemed exorbitant by supporters who have filed complaints against Fifa with the European Commission.

“I haven’t seen that, but I should look into it,” he said. “I would like people who voted for me to be able to go […] If people from Queens and Brooklyn who love Donald Trump cannot attend the matches, I would be disappointed but at the same time it’s an incredible success,” explained the former real estate magnate from New York.

What is the current state of sales for this World Cup?

“I know (the tournament) is a huge success, it’s breaking all records and (Fifa) has never experienced this,” assured Trump, just over a month before the start of the unique tournament co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19 (48 teams, 104 matches).

Fifa has sold about 5 million tickets out of the 7 million available, and a new phase of “last-minute” sales has opened on the official website of the organization this Thursday.

Additional tickets will continue to be regularly put up for sale until the final on July 19, according to the global body.