FIFA president Gianni Infantino has stirred fresh debate around the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup, combining a defence of ticket pricing with a tongue-in-cheek remark aimed at British football fans.
The expanded summer tournament, set to be hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico, is scheduled to kick off in June, but conversation off the pitch is already heating up.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum, Infantino addressed global criticism surrounding the cost of tickets, insisting that similar concerns were raised ahead of the Qatar 2022 World Cup before the focus eventually returned to football itself.
“When the ball started rolling and the magic started we had virtually no incidents,” he said at the World Economic Forum.
“For the first time in history also, no Brit was arrested during a World Cup. Imagine! This is something really, really special.
“So it was a celebration, it was a party, and the next one in the United States, Canada and Mexico will be exactly the same.”
He also stressed FIFA’s belief in the tournament’s wider social appeal beyond the football itself.
“People want occasions to meet, to come together, to spend time, to celebrate, and this is what we try to give them.”
The comments arrive against the backdrop of ongoing criticism from supporter groups worldwide, who argue that rising ticket prices risk pricing out ordinary fans.
During the Qatar World Cup, England and Wales were the only British nations to qualify, a detail that further contextualised Infantino’s remark.
The response from fan representatives was swift. The Football Supporters Association (FSA) hit back, shifting the focus firmly back to affordability.
“While we’ve got Mr Infantino’s attention, we’d like to point out that rather than making cheap jokes about our fans, he should concentrate on making cheap tickets.”
As preparations continue for the first 48-team World Cup, Infantino’s comments have once again highlighted the tension between FIFA’s commercial ambitions and supporters’ calls for accessibility.
With the countdown to 2026 underway, the debate over ticket pricing and who the World Cup is truly for shows no sign of easing.
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