Infantino defends visa handling and ticket prices on eve of 2026 World Cup opener in Mexico City
FIFA president Gianni Infantino addressed visa controversies and ticket pricing criticism at a press conference in Mexico City, one day before the 2026 World Cup kicks off with co-hosts Mexico facing South Africa.
Visa controversy and the Somali referee
FIFA president Gianni Infantino addressed the case of Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, who was denied entry to the United States earlier this week despite holding a valid visa. U.S. authorities said Artan was barred because of his links to "suspected members of terror organizations." Infantino called the situation "unfortunate" but stressed that FIFA cannot override government decisions on immigration.
We are not the kings of the world who can rule over governments and police forces. We are a sports organisation.
Infantino urged critics to "chill" and trust FIFA to work behind the scenes on solutions. When pressed by a BBC journalist on whether the Trump administration had undermined FIFA's promise that everyone would be welcome, Infantino pushed back, asking whether the journalist would find it normal for FIFA to dictate to the British government who could enter the UK during a tournament.
Iran's participation amid geopolitical tensions
Infantino pointed to Iran's participation in the tournament as evidence of FIFA's ability to navigate complex political circumstances. He said he was "very happy" that Iran would compete despite the ongoing war with the United States, and thanked the governments of the three host nations for making it possible. The Iranian team was forced to relocate its base to Mexico, and FIFA withdrew match tickets for Iranian supporters.
People were saying Iran couldn't come to the World Cup. I promised them they will come.
Infantino said he hoped the stadium would be full and the atmosphere positive when Iran plays, framing football as a force for unity at a time of global conflict.
Ticket pricing defended
Infantino offered a strident defence of ticket prices, which have drawn criticism from supporters and prompted investigations by the attorneys general of New York and New Jersey. He said the cheapest entry price is 60 dollars, covering 130,000 tickets out of approximately 6.5 million on sale, and that the average price is around 500 dollars. He argued this compares favourably with American sports at the playoff stage.
If we were like everyone else in football is now, selling our TV rights on pay TV like everyone else, then billions of people wouldn't have access.
Infantino said demand for tickets is ten times higher than ever before and that generating revenue is his statutory responsibility to fund investment across FIFA's 211 member countries. He said he was "relaxed" about legal challenges to FIFA's pricing approach.
A message of unity
Infantino repeatedly returned to a message of unity, calling the World Cup "the biggest event in the history of humanity" and saying FIFA wanted to "make the best of it." He said the tournament could provide a welcome distraction amid global uncertainty and conflict.
We want to unite the world.
The first of 104 matches will be played on Thursday in Mexico City between Mexico and South Africa. Infantino said 6.5 million fans will attend matches across the tournament, which runs from June 11 to July 19 and features 48 participating nations.
