US President Donald Trump has emphatically said he would not pay the $1,000 asking price for a ticket to watch US opening match at the World Cup. The US is set to play the opening game against Paraguay in Los Angeles on June 12 .
Trump sounded surprised when he was told the price of tickets for the game in an interview with the New York Post.
“I did not know that number,” Trump said. “I would certainly like to be there, but I wouldn’t pay it either, to be honest with you.
“I haven’t seen that, but I would have to take a look at it. If people from Queens and Brooklyn and all of the people that love Donald Trump can’t go, I would be disappointed but, you know, at the same time, it’s an amazing success. I would like to be able to have the people that voted for me to be able to go.”
Trump went on to reveal the demands for the tickets for the World Cup are strong, despite the high prices.
“I know that is extremely successful,” he said. “Setting every record in the book. They’ve never had anything like it.”
FIFA has faced criticism itself for the cost of match tickets, and for adopting a dynamic pricing strategy. Its president Gianni Infantino defended the tournament’s pricing policy on Wednesday, stating that a quarter of group stage tickets were being sold for less than $300 each. The world governing football body also stated that it is not-for-profit organisation, and all the money made will be invested in football.
FIFA opened a further World Cup ticket sales window on Thursday. This was after opening a ‘last-minute sales’ window on April 1, describing it as the “fourth and final” sales phase which would remain open until the end of the tournament.
The US will host the 2026 World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.
