KEIR RADNEDGE in MEXICO CITY; On the eve of the historic opening match of the expanded 48-nation World Cup at the Estadio Azteca, FIFA president Gianni Infantino took centre stage at his first formal press conference in three years.

Infantino navigated a barrage of questions ranging from astronomical ticket prices to geopolitical standoffs and visa denials.

Throughout the session, the 56-year-old executive maintained a strikingly relaxed demeanor, a stark contrast to his infamous, combative “I feel gay, I feel disabled” speech in Qatar four years prior.

The primary point of contention during the media briefing was the unprecedented cost of attending the tournament. With regular seats for the July 19 final peaking near $33,000, and hospitality packages soaring past $73,000, football enthusiasts and consumer advocacy groups have expressed immense frustration.

Infantino vigorously defended the pricing strategy, arguing that the high costs were a necessary measure to combat the secondary market.

“If we sell it at a lower price point, in this particular market it would have gone… in secondary markets at much, much, much higher prices,” Infantino explained. “And where would the money go then? Well, to those who organize secondary markets or black market activities and not to football.”

He countered critics by claiming the tournament’s average ticket price remains below $500, drawing comparisons to standard American sports postseason pricing. Furthermore, Infantino dismissed ongoing legal investigations into FIFA’s ticketing practices launched by attorneys general in New York, Texas, California, and New Jersey, stating that FIFA’s legal teams had thoroughly vetted the process.

The press conference also took a sharp political turn regarding Omar Artan, who was set to make history as the first Somali referee at a World Cup. Artan was denied entry into the United States by U.S. Customs and Border Protection at Miami International Airport due to unspecified “vetting concerns.”

When pressed on FIFA’s inability to intervene, Infantino urged the public and the media to lower the temperature.

Infantino noted that FIFA must respect sovereign nations. “Maybe sometimes it’s good as well to just chill, relax,” he said.

He reminded the room that the governing body does not wield absolute geopolitical authority. “We need to respect that we are not the kings of the world who can rule over governments and police forces.”

Conversely, Infantino took immense credit for navigating diplomatic friction elsewhere, specifically praising FIFA’s coordination in ensuring Iran’s participation. Because of current tensions between Washington and Tehran, the Iranian team moved its training camp to Mexico and will only fly into the United States immediately before their scheduled matches.

Praise for Donald Trump and Financial Projections

Looking at the sheer scale of the 104-game tournament, Infantino declared it would likely be “the biggest event probably in the history of mankind.” He explicitly credited President Donald Trump for making the North American tournament a reality, stating that without Trump’s initial engagement, organizing the event across the United States would have been “impossible.”

Financially, Infantino revealed that while FIFA expects a record-breaking $11 billion in revenue, the organization intentionally left billions more on the table. Had FIFA opted to place the entirety of the broadcast rights behind a strict paywall, Infantino claimed they could have easily generated $30 billion. He framed the decision as a moral victory for global accessibility, ensuring that billions of fans worldwide could still watch the tournament on free-to-air television.

To conclude the press briefing, Infantino gesture toward an empty chair kept on the stage. The seat was reserved for Christophe Gleizes, a French freelance journalist currently serving a seven-year prison sentence in Algeria, signaling a quiet nod to press freedom as the world turns its attention to the pitch.

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