By Opeyemi Adelakun
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has defended the pricing of World Cup tickets and the handling of visa-related issues ahead of the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which kicks off on Thursday in Mexico City.
The tournament opens with hosts Mexico taking on South Africa at the iconic Estadio Azteca, marking the beginning of the largest World Cup in history.
Co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, the competition features 48 teams and will run for almost six weeks, culminating in the final in New Jersey on July 19.
Despite projections that the tournament could generate a record $13 billion in revenue, FIFA has faced criticism over the high cost of tickets, some of which reportedly exceed $30,000, as well as visa challenges affecting certain officials and supporters.
Speaking in Mexico City on Wednesday, Infantino dismissed concerns over ticket pricing, arguing that FIFA had made affordable options available to fans.
“Let me just say that our entry price, which is 60 dollars, is the lowest entry price of any of the American sports in the play-off phases,” he said.
“Our average price, which is below 500 dollars, is again the lowest of the American sports on average.”
The FIFA president also addressed controversy surrounding Somali referee Omar Artan, who was denied entry into the United States after security concerns were reportedly raised by immigration authorities.
FIFA later confirmed that Artan would not participate in the tournament.
“It is unfortunate what happened to the referee from Somalia,” Infantino said.
“We don’t control everything. Sometimes it’s good to chill, relax, we work on everything, we try to solve everything.”
He also pointed to Iran’s participation in the tournament despite ongoing tensions involving the country, describing it as evidence of FIFA’s commitment to ensuring inclusiveness.
“People were saying Iran couldn’t come to the World Cup. There are challenges, it’s not easy, but I don’t know who else would have been able to ensure in these circumstances that Iran could come and play,” he stated.
Infantino further praised United States President Donald Trump for supporting the organisation of the tournament, insisting the event would have been difficult to host in the US without his involvement.
“Without his engagement and involvement, I think it would have been impossible to organise a World Cup in the United States,” he said.
Trump, meanwhile, confirmed he intends to attend some matches during the competition.
As excitement builds, South Africa coach Hugo Broos acknowledged the challenge his side faces in the opening match against Mexico, particularly in front of a packed home crowd.
“They will have 85,000 Mexicans shouting and singing. But we have to focus on our game. And if we can do that, then we can have a good game,” he said.
Mexico coach Javier Aguirre also expressed determination to rewrite history, noting that his country has never won an opening World Cup match despite featuring in seven previous editions.
“We have to break the statistic,” Aguirre said.
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