FIFA President Gianni Infantino on Wednesday, 10th of June, 2026 held a press briefing in which he pushed back against two of the tournament’s most controversial flashpoints: sky-high ticket prices and the exclusion of a Somali referee.
Infantino defended the record ticket pricing, arguing that “if we do something wrong, then probably everyone selling tickets in North America is doing something wrong.”
Tickets for the expanded 48-nation, 104-game tournament started at $140 for group-stage matches, but regular seats for the July 19 final near New York were listed at up to $8,680, with hospitality packages reaching $73,200.
Prices for the final were later raised further first to $10,990 and then $32,970 before FIFA, facing intense backlash, offered a limited number of $60 tickets to national federations. Infantino said 130,000 tickets fell into that discounted category.
On the separate and deeply sensitive issue of Somali referee Omar Artan being denied entry into the United States, Infantino described the situation as “unfortunate” and told people they “should chill.”
Artan, who would have become the first Somali referee to officiate at a World Cup and was named the 2025 men’s referee of the year by the Confederation of African Football, was turned back at Miami International Airport and put on a return flight to Turkey.
A U.S. State Department official stated that Artan was “associated with suspected members of terrorist organisations,” making him ineligible for admission.
Artan denied the allegations, and thousands of people gathered in the Somali capital Mogadishu to welcome him home, where he vowed, “I will be at the next World Cup and will continue to make Somalia proud.”
Infantino acknowledged FIFA’s limitations, saying: “We don’t control everything. We try. We’ll discuss, we will speak, we’ll see,” while cautioning that “immediately start screaming and shouting has the opposite effect of finding a solution.”
He added that FIFA cannot dictate to governments who to let into their countries, though he said the organization is working “behind the scenes.”
Infantino also used the press conference to highlight what he considered a diplomatic achievement successfully navigating Iran’s participation in the tournament at a time when the U.S. and Iran are in conflict, with Iran’s team relocating its training camp from the U.S. to Mexico and flying in ahead of its individual matches.
