Watch VideoFifa boss Gianni Infantino deflects Fifa World Cup chaos with defiant Mexico City monologue

While FIFA boss Gianni Infantino claims World Cup ticket prices are reasonable, England weather a Florida storm and Mexico braces for political unrest ahead of the Bafana Bafana showdown. FIFA President Gianni Infantinobrushed off intense criticism overWorld Cup visa blockadesand sky-high ticket prices on Wednesday during a defiant eve-of-tournament press conference. Speaking in Mexico City ahead of the World Cup’s opening blockbuster at the Estadio Azteca on Thursday, Infantino launched a spirited defence of the logistical organisation surrounding the expanded 48-team extravaganza, which is being co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

Infantino and football’s global governing body have come under stinging criticism over the eye-watering costs of World Cup tickets, while Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration crackdown has already seen a top African match official, Iranian team dignitaries, and thousands of international fans flatly refused entry to the United States. However, Infantino stubbornly insisted that tickets to the tournament — which in some premium corporate cases have topped $30,000 — had been priced appropriately, defensively citing a tiny pool of $60 tickets that were made available to the public in response to widespread public backlash. “Let me just say that our entry price, which is 60 dollars, is the lowest entry price of any of the American sports in the play-off phases,” Infantino argued.

“Our average price, which is below 500 dollars, is again the lowest of the major American sports on average.” Infantino also actively played down the swirling controversy surrounding Somali World Cup referee Omar Artan, who was summarily refused entry to the United States after arriving in Miami last Saturday following security concerns flagged by US immigration authorities. FIFA has since confirmed that Artan — whom the US State Department later claimed had “associated with suspected members of terrorist organisations” — will play absolutely no part in the tournament. “It is unfortunate what happened to the referee from Somalia,” Infantino said.

[paywall]

“We don’t control everything… Sometimes it’s good to chill, relax, we work on everything, we try to solve everything. Sometimes to immediately start screaming and shouting has the exact opposite effect of finding a diplomatic solution.” The FIFA chief also portrayed Iran’s successful arrival at the World Cup — in the midst of its volatile military conflict with the US — as a monumental victory for his organisation.

“People were saying Iran couldn’t come to the World Cup,” Infantino noted. “There are massive challenges, it’s not easy, but I don’t know who else would have been able to ensure in these global circumstances — which we could not influence — that Iran could come and play.” Infantino’s cozy relationship with US President Trump has also faced intense scrutiny in the build-up to the tournament. Yet, the FIFA leader maintained that Trump had played a completely critical role in delivering the event. “Without his direct engagement and involvement, I think it would have been, simple as that, completely impossible to organise a World Cup in the United States,” Infantino stated.

[/paywall]