MONTERREY, NUEVO LEON — Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has publicly criticized FIFA over exorbitant ticket prices for the 2026 World Cup, urging soccer’s global governing body to reflect on costs that have left the tournament inaccessible to the vast majority of ordinary citizens.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Sheinbaum emphasized that soccer should be treated as a unifying sporting spectacle rather than just a commercial enterprise. “Soccer has to be something else,” she stated. “All of this should prompt reflection, even within FIFA.”
The pushback follows FIFA’s implementation of a dynamic pricing model that saw tickets initially listed between US$140 and US$8,680, with prices for the final later soaring to nearly US$33,000 on official channels. FIFA President Gianni Infantino previously defended the strategy as fitting the affluent North American market.
In response to the pricing fury and visibly empty stadium seats in host cities like Guadalajara, Sheinbaum’s administration has launched a government-backed “Social World Cup” initiative. The program sets up free public viewing festivals featuring giant screens across major Mexican cities. Sheinbaum even broke tradition by gifting her personal opening-match ticket to a 21-year-old Indigenous amateur player who could not otherwise afford to attend.
Mexican President’s press conference remarks on FIFA highlight the footage of Claudia Sheinbaum arguing that soccer must remain an inclusive space for unity rather than excessive commercialization.
Source: AP
