MEXICO CITY (AP) 鈥� FIFA President Gianni Infantino defended ticket prices on Wednesday, saying 鈥渋f we do something wrong, then probably everyone selling tickets in North America is doing something wrong.”
Infantino spoke with reporters during a rare question-and-answer session on the eve of the opening match of an expanded 48-nation, 104-game World Cup tournament. He defended record ticket prices, said FIFA was powerless to get the U.S. government to admit a Somali referee, and praised his ability to get Iran’s national soccer team into the United States.
FIFA priced tickets starting at $140 for group-stage games, but regular seats for the July 19 final outside New York were listed at up to $8,680 and hospitality seats at up to $73,200. It raised prices for the and .
After much criticism, Infantino said 130,000 tickets were offered in that category.
Four years ago at the tournament in Qatar, prices ranged from $69 to $1,607.
鈥淚f you sell it at a lower price point,鈥� he said, 鈥渋n this particular market it would have gone 鈥� which is perfectly legal in this country … in secondary markets at much, much, much higher prices and where would the money go then? Well, to those who organize secondary markets or black market activities and not to football.鈥�
Infantino said the average ticket price was below $500 for the tournament and was comparable to other U.S. sports during their playoffs, a claim that while true for resale prices does not appear to be accurate for list prices. Major League Baseball’s average World Series ticket price has been $350 to $400 in recent years and NFL prices last season averaged $230 for the wild-card round, $320 for divisional games, $450 for conference championships and $3,300 for the Super Bowl.
Infantino said he was unconcerned about in California, New Jersey, New York and Texas.
鈥淲hen it comes to these legal investigations or complaints that were made in some states in the U.S.,鈥� he said, “we are very relaxed about it because before starting to sell 6 and a half or 7 million tickets we check what we do with the best lawyers, with the best experts. If we do something wrong, then probably everyone selling tickets in North America is doing something wrong, as well.鈥�
Infantino pointed to the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs as an example of how other major American sporting events are experiencing a similar surge in prices.
The get-in price on FIFA’s resale site for the World Cup final is $9,805. The NBA Finals have had wildly varied get-in prices, ranging from a minimum of about $500 for the first two games in San Antonio to about $10,000 for Game 3 in New York. Game 4 in New York was much less, dropping to about $4,000 on Wednesday.
The Stanley Cup Final this year between teams in Las Vegas and Raleigh, North Carolina, has included a get-in price of at least $600 for each of the first four games of the best-of-seven series.
鈥淲e welcome every investigation,鈥� Infantino said. 鈥淲e are happy to present everything, and we are happy to make our case.鈥�
Infantino says FIFA is powerless to get US entry for denied Somali referee
Infantino said it was unfortunate was denied entry to the U.S.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 control everything. We try. We鈥檒l discuss, we will speak, we鈥檒l see. Maybe sometimes it鈥檚 good as well to just chill, relax,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e try to solve everything. Sometimes to immediately start screaming and shouting has the opposite effect of finding a solution. Believe me when I tell you, or don鈥檛 believe me if you don鈥檛 want, but we try always to find solutions, always. But then we need to respect that we are not the kings of the world who can rule over governments and police forces.鈥�
Set to become the at a World Cup, Artan was denied entry to the U.S. at Miami International Airport on Saturday over unspecified 鈥渧etting concerns,鈥� said in a statement, without giving details of the concerns.
鈥淥ur world is a very aggressive world and security goes above everything and you need to respect the decisions which are taken,” Infantino said. 鈥淲e are working behind the scenes.鈥�
Infantino thinks FIFA deserves credit for ensuring Iran鈥檚 participation
Infantino praised FIFA for working through details that allow Iran to play in the tournament at a time the U.S. is at war with that country. The Iranian team moved its training camp from the U.S. to Mexico and will fly to the United States just before matches.
鈥淚 think it has already been successful to bring Iran to play in America,” he said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know who would have managed to do that. And of course everyone here believes it鈥檚 the right thing to do. But, again, we don鈥檛 live on the moon. We live on planet Earth and you have to deal with different situations.鈥�
Infantino claimed the tournament will be 鈥渢he biggest event probably in the history of mankind.鈥�
Infantino claims tournament could not have taken place without Donald Trump
鈥淲ithout his engagement and his involvement I think it would have been impossible 鈥� as simple as that, it would鈥檝e been impossible to organize a World Cup in the United States,鈥� Infantino said. 鈥淗e understood immediately the magnitude of the World Cup, the impact of the World Cup.鈥�
Infantino says FIFA could make far more money with more broadcast sales to pay services
and Infantino said the governing body could have generated far more.
鈥淲e could put everything on pay. We would generate $30 billion revenues, probably,” he said. “But then you have billions of people in the world who would not be able to watch the World Cup.鈥�
This news conference went smoother than Infantino鈥檚 opening comments in Qatar
Four years ago, during a news conference ahead of the opening match in Qatar. He lectured Europeans for criticizing Qatar鈥檚 human rights record during a bizarre appearance in which he claimed to feel gay, like a woman and a migrant worker, among other odd claims.
Now 56, Infantino has been FIFA president since 2016 and that runs through 2031.
Infantino kept an empty seat at the news conference for Christophe Gleizes, a in Algeria last year over an interview with a soccer official accused of ties to a banned separatist movement.
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AP Sports Writer Ronald Blum in New York contributed to this report.
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