Trump’s World Cup chief defends high ticket prices

{"text":[[{"start":7.2,"text":"The Trump administration’s World Cup chief has defended the high cost of tickets for US matches as reflecting enthusiasm for the tournament, saying “the market will dictate the price”."}],[{"start":17.75,"text":"Andrew Giuliani, son of former New York mayor and Trump ally Rudy Giuliani, said that if people were unable to afford tickets, they could attend Fifa fan festivals or low-cost or free live-viewing events hosted in cities where the matches are held."}],[{"start":32.7,"text":"“We look to Fifa as a private entity here, we don’t really believe in price controls,” Giuliani told the FT. “That’s kind of like what dynamic pricing can do.” "}],[{"start":41.95,"text":"He added: “It actually shows just how sought-after it is to come to the United States for a World Cup.” "}],[{"start":48.150000000000006,"text":"Fifa, football’s governing body, has faced a worldwide backlash over the high price for tickets to the tournament, which is being held in locations across the US, Canada and Mexico and starts in June."}],[{"start":59.75000000000001,"text":"Donald Trump this week commented he would not pay $1,000 for a ticket to the US team’s opening game against Paraguay on June 12. “I would certainly like to be there, but I wouldn’t pay it either, to be honest with you,” he said in an interview with the New York Post. "}],[{"start":74.75,"text":"Fifa has used dynamic pricing — where algorithms are used to determine price based on demand — to set ticket costs, drawing criticism from fans over sky-high prices. The organisation’s officials have defended the practice, saying the revenue supports the global development of the sport."}],[{"start":92.4,"text":"The use of algorithms for pricing is coming under increased scrutiny from regulators. In Canada, tickets to World Cup matches in Toronto can only be resold for their original price after the provincial government banned reselling event tickets above face value."}],[{"start":108.2,"text":"In an interview conducted before Trump made his comments, Giuliani said the initial ticket sales for US matches were on a “pretty good pathway, with over 5mn sold” by the last week of April. "}],[{"start":null,"text":"

"}],[{"start":120.10000000000001,"text":"He said concerns over US immigration enforcement were not deterring international fans from coming to the tournament, despite warnings last month from the American Civil Liberties Union and other human rights groups that visitors may be at risk of arrest and deportation."}],[{"start":135.05,"text":"“Anybody who has come here legally or who is here legally has nothing to be concerned about, whether it’s during the World Cup or at another point,” Giuliani said. "}],[{"start":144.45000000000002,"text":"He added that more than 5mn Esta (electronic system for travel authorisation) visas had been processed from October 2025 to the end of March this year for people from 19 countries with teams participating in the World Cup, with waiting times in Argentina and Brazil down to “less than two weeks”."}],[{"start":163.4,"text":"“The US wants people to be able to come here legally and be able to enjoy this World Cup,” said Giuliani. “It’s an unbelievable opportunity to show the world American exceptionalism over our first 250 years,” he said, referring to the 250th anniversary of US independence. "}],[{"start":180.6,"text":"Keith Pagello, founder of Cincinnati-based Ticket Data, which tracks ticket prices on several resale sites, said the average cost of the cheapest World Cup ticket had fallen 17 per cent over the past two weeks to $567. "}],[{"start":195.65,"text":"Fifa’s ticket strategy had been “pretty typical” for large sporting events, including the NFL’s Super Bowl, and often ticket prices start to fall closer to the event, said Pagello. "}],[{"start":206.5,"text":"“This doesn’t mean Fifa failed at pricing, they have probably sold 90 per cent of the tickets at pretty high prices,” he said. “The big question mark from here on out is how much inventory does Fifa still have in its pocket.” "}],[{"start":226.25,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1778282048_9750.mp3"}