Donald Trump has thrown fresh attention on World Cup ticket prices, saying he would not pay four figures to watch the United States open the tournament against Paraguay.
In a phone interview with the New York Post, Trump said, “I wouldn’t pay it either, to be honest,” after reports highlighted that seats for the US opener had climbed above $1,000. He also said he did not know prices had reached that level. The remark cuts straight into a growing debate over who can actually afford to attend one of the biggest sporting events on the calendar.
“I wouldn’t pay it either, to be honest.”
The pricing issue has lingered for months. Reporting from December said Fifa set a base price of $1,120 for Category 3 tickets, the cheapest option available to most fans aside from a limited number of Category 4 seats. That structure immediately raised questions about access, especially for supporters who expected the tournament’s US matches to attract broad, walk-up enthusiasm rather than luxury-level spending.
Key Facts
- Trump said he would not pay four figures for World Cup tickets.
- Reports indicate tickets for the US opener against Paraguay top $1,000.
- December reporting put Category 3 ticket prices at $1,120.
- Fifa president Gianni Infantino recently defended the tournament’s pricing.
The politics of the moment only sharpen the story. Trump’s comment gives critics of Fifa’s strategy a high-profile soundbite, while also underscoring a basic tension around the 2026 tournament: organizers want a global spectacle, but fans want a realistic path through the gate. Reports suggest that gap has become one of the earliest defining issues around the event, well before a ball gets kicked.
What happens next matters beyond one match and one quote. If prices remain this high, pressure will likely build on organizers to justify the model or widen lower-cost access for ordinary supporters. The World Cup sells itself as a mass event, and the fight over ticket prices may decide how many fans feel it still belongs to them.