"One Ticket Costs $1,460? I Wouldn't Pay That Either"...Trump Delivers Sharp Critique

Controversy Over 2026 CONCACAF World Cup Ticket Prices
Dynamic Pricing System Applied Based on Demand

U.S. President Donald Trump has criticized the soaring prices of tickets for the 2026 North American World Cup.

The New York Post reported on May 7 (local time) that President Trump, in an interview conducted the previous night, responded to a question about ticket prices for the U.S. group stage matches at the North American World Cup reaching as high as $1,000 (approximately 1.46 million won).

President Trump remarked, "Honestly, I wouldn’t pay that amount either," delivering a pointed critique. He went on to express concern that his core base of working-class supporters might not be able to attend games, and suggested that his administration could consider reviewing the issue of excessive ticket prices.

President Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino. Photo by AP Yonhap News Agency

This World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, will begin with the opening match in Mexico City on June 11 and run through to the final in New Jersey on July 19.

The U.S. national soccer team will play its first group stage match against Paraguay on June 12 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Los Angeles, California. According to Ticketmaster, the current lowest ticket price for this match is $1,079 (approximately 1.58 million won).

The opening match will take place on June 11 in Mexico City, the capital of Mexico, and the final will be held on July 19 in New Jersey, United States. The U.S. team will play its first match against Paraguay on June 12 in Los Angeles.

U.S. President Donald Trump (left) is speaking as he receives tickets for the North American World Cup from FIFA President Gianni Infantino at the White House on August 23 last year. Photo by Reuters

For the first time, FIFA introduced dynamic pricing, which adjusts prices according to demand, to ticket sales for this North American World Cup, starting in December last year. However, there have been criticisms that the base ticket prices are unreasonably high compared to the Qatar World Cup four years ago.

The average ticket price for the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19 is about $13,000 (approximately 19.03 million won), which is a significant jump from the 2022 Qatar World Cup final’s average price of $1,600 (approximately 2.34 million won). On some resale sites, final match tickets have been listed for more than $2 million (approximately 2.9 billion won).

The total minimum price for tickets to South Korea’s three group stage matches at the North American World Cup has also been set at $585 (approximately 860,000 won), with the highest set at $1,650 (2.41 million won). This is more than twice as expensive as the Qatar World Cup ($207–$660).

Meanwhile, Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA, actively defended the current pricing policy. Infantino argued, "The U.S. market allows ticket resale," and claimed, "If sale prices are set too low, tickets will end up trading at much higher premiums in the secondary market." He also emphasized that high demand has been reflected in prices, citing that there have been 500 million ticket requests for this tournament.

However, according to a survey released by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), about 80% of hotels in the 11 U.S. host cities are recording reservation rates lower than initial projections.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.