Gianni Infantino addresses FIFA World Cup ticket prices, Iran, and referee ban

FIFA President Gianni Infantino arrived at his Wednesday press conference in Mexico City armed with three key talking points, defending his organization on a number of contentious issues just 24 hours before the World Cup kicks off.

Mexico will take on South Africa in Thursday's tournament opener, with co-hosts Canada and the U.S. staging their home debuts on Friday. With mere hours remaining, visa complications continue to plague fans, officials, and journalists alike, including a FIFA referee who was turned away at the border and returned to Somalia.

The administrative headaches represent just one strand of the disorder, with sky-high ticket prices and inflated travel costs adding further fuel to the controversy. Infantino has been no stranger to criticism throughout the World Cup build-up, yet Wednesday marked his first media appearance since 2023 in Mexico — coming on the heels of his demand for equal treatment to President Donald Trump, a request Canada flatly rejected .

FIFA has repeatedly touted record-breaking ticket demand for the tournament, yet thousands of seats remain unsold and are listed at outrageous prices across both official and resale platforms. Infantino stood firm, arguing that pricing reflects the U.S. market and defending the organization's stance on accepting "legal" resale rates, as per The Mirror US .

Infantino also celebrated Iran's participation despite ongoing tensions with the U.S., and broke his silence on referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan being denied entry to the country. Infantino addressed all three talking points before taking questions, preempting the likely topic of discussion.

"On Iran, I am very happy because I went to see the Iranian team in Turkey earlier this year. When people said it would be impossible for Iran to come to the World Cup, I told them and promised them that they would come.

"Of course, there are challenges, of course it's not easy. I don't know who else would have been able to ensure, in these circumstances that we can't influence, Iran could come and play. When Iran plays, the stadium will be full. I hope it's a positive atmosphere.

"This is football, this is about people forgetting for a moment their realities, and being able to focus on a match and a team. So, I'm very happy we managed to get Iran to come and play at this World Cup, and I'm proud of the work of my team."