Gianni Infantino see no problems with World Cup 2026: War has no saying
With only a few months remaining before the 2026 World Cup begins in North America, interest in the tournament is already reaching unprecedented levels.
According to reporting by Jeremy Laugier in 20 Minutes, FIFA President Gianni Infantino says global demand for tickets has surged despite political debate surrounding the event and tensions linked to the host nations.
The tournament, which will take place across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, will also mark the first time the competition expands to 48 national teams, increasing the number of matches and the overall scale of the event.
Expanding tournament draws global attention
Speaking to the Spanish sports newspaper AS, Gianni Infantino expressed strong confidence that the expanded competition will be a major success.
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“All stadiums will be full, it will be a celebration,” he said during the interview.
He also suggested that perceptions of football in the United States have changed significantly in recent years.
“The idea that football was not very popular in the United States has changed. It will be a huge success.”
The expanded format means the tournament will feature 104 matches, making it the largest World Cup in the history of FIFA.
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Ticket demand reaches historic levels
According to 20 Minutes, Gianni Infantino highlighted the extraordinary level of interest as a key indicator of the tournament’s popularity.
“We have received more than 500 million ticket requests. It is incredible. We have nearly seven million tickets for sale, and this number of requests is unprecedented in the history of FIFA and any other institution.”
The FIFA President said the number of requests far exceeds the number of tickets that will ultimately be available.
Reporting by 20 Minutes also notes that 77 of the tournament’s 104 matches have already attracted more than one million ticket requests each.
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Ticket prices spark debate among supporters
The strong demand has emerged despite criticism of FIFA’s ticket pricing policy.
According to 20 Minutes, many tickets initially cost more than 200 euros, prompting complaints from supporters who argued the prices were too high.
In response, FIFA introduced a lower priced category, with some tickets available for around 60 dollars.
Infantino says world cup will be a global social event
In the same interview with AS, Gianni Infantino said the World Cup represents more than a sporting competition.
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“It is more than a tournament, more than a sports competition, it is a social event that the whole world will follow.”
The 2026 World Cup will be the first tournament jointly hosted by three countries and the first edition to feature 48 teams, making it the largest event in the history of the competition.
Sources: 20 Minutes
