‘I wouldn’t pay’ - US President Trump hits out at World Cup ticket price hike

FIFA officials have been keen to maintain a positive relationship with the Trump administration ahead of the tournament, which is set to begin next month. 

However, ongoing military actions involving the US and Israel against the Islamic Republic have contributed to rising tensions. 

These strains are partially linked to Iran's scheduled participation in matches set to take place in Los Angeles and Seattle.

Now, Trump has aimed at the ticket costs, which could see fans of teams like England spending over £5,000 to follow their side throughout the entire tournament.

In a phone interview with the New York Post, Trump expressed his surprise when informed of the prices. "I did not know that number," he said. "I would certainly like to be there, but I wouldn’t pay it either, to be honest with you."

Trump continued, "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 who 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."

This unexpected commentary follows Infantino's recent remarks in Los Angeles, where he justified the prices as a reflection of "the most developed entertainment market in the world."

The FIFA chief explained, "We have to look at the market. The US is the most developed entertainment market in the world, so we have to apply market rates."

Meanwhile, Shakira has officially announced her return to football’s greatest tournament by teasing “Dai Dai", the official song of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.