United States President Donald Trump said he was unaware supporters might need to spend about $1,000 (£736) to attend the national team’s opening 2026 World Cup match against Paraguay and admitted he would not pay that amount himself.

Speaking to The New York Post, Trump said he would like to attend the fixture in Los Angeles on 12 June but was blunt about the reported expense. He added that he would be disappointed if ordinary supporters, including many of his own voters, were unable to afford seats despite the tournament’s success.

FIFA faces criticism over pricing and resale charges

FIFA has come under fire over what critics describe as excessive costs for the expanded tournament, which begins on 11 June and is being staged across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Unlike some previous World Cups, group-stage ticket prices were set according to the expected appeal of participating teams rather than a standard pricing model. Supporters have also been confronted by significantly higher prices on FIFA’s official resale marketplace, where the organization collects a combined 30% fee from transactions by charging both buyers and sellers 15%.

Infantino defends strategy and cheaper seats emerge

FIFA president Gianni Infantino defended the pricing approach during an appearance at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, arguing that lower initial prices could simply encourage resale at far higher amounts in the United States, where ticket reselling is legal.

Following criticism after the first ticket release, Fifa introduced a limited allocation of more affordable £45 tickets covering all 104 matches. In Toronto, supporters are also protected from inflated resale costs because Ontario recently prohibited event tickets from being resold above face value.

Transport costs also spark concern for supporters

Travel expenses in the United States have added to concerns around affordability, especially for games at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. A round-trip rail fare for the roughly 30-minute journey from Manhattan’s Penn Station had originally surged from the normal $12.90 (£9.50) to $150 (£111).

That fare has since been reduced by 30%, bringing the cost down to $105 (£77). New Jersey Transit chief executive Kris Kolluri said Governor Mikie Sherrill requested sponsorship and alternative funding to help lower the burden on fans traveling to matches.