Infantino defends World Cup ticket prices; compares them to NBA finals
· Telemundo McAllen (KTLM)
FIFA President Gianni Infantino defended the ticket prices for the World Cup on Wednesday, stating that "if we are doing something wrong, then probably everyone selling tickets in North America is doing something wrong." Infantino spoke with reporters during an unusual Q&A session ahead of the opening match of a tournament expanded to 48 teams and 104 matches. He defended the record ticket prices, noted that FIFA had no power to ensure the U.S. government allowed a Somali referee to enter, and praised his own efforts to secure entry for the Iranian national soccer team into the United States. FIFA set initial prices at $140 for group stage matches, but standard tickets for the final on July 19, just outside New York, were announced for up to $8,680, with hospitality tickets reaching as high as $73,200. The prices for the final were later raised to $10,990 and then to $32,970. After receiving numerous criticisms, FIFA offered tickets at $60 to national federations for their regular fans, indicating that 130,000 tickets were made available in that category.
AI summary · Source: Telemundo McAllen (KTLM) →
