Article by Ionuţ Iordache, Sergiu Alexandru – Published Wednesday, June 10, 2026 23:09 / Updated Wednesday, June 10, 2026 23:20
Gianni Infantino (56 years old), the president of FIFA, held a press conference on Wednesday, which was attended by a good number of journalists accredited to the World Championship, including the editors of Gazeta Sporturilor.
- Sergiu Alexandru and Ionuț Iordache (photo) are at the World Championship and will sign special correspondence for Gazeta Sporturilor during the final tournament in Mexico, Canada and the USA
The day before the opening match of the biggest World Cup in history, the FIFA president spoke for an hour to the press. The conference was held at the Mexico City Stadium media center in a makeshift tent in front of the arena. And the journalists who received the acceptance to participate in the conference had to stand in line to enter the dedicated area.
Gianni Infantino: “It's the biggest event, probably in human history”
“It is a pleasure to be here. We are starting the 23rd edition of the World Cup. It is a moment of joy. I am very happy to see this ball rolling in just a few hours. And this trophy is going to be awarded in a few weeks. It is the most important trophy. We have here a ball and a trophy that make people dream.
We're here to talk about football. I know there are other topics that we will touch on. But I would like us to focus on football. This edition of the World Cup is breaking records.
We are very happy and I want to thank many people. First of all, to you, the journalists, for conveying the excitement here to those at home. I want to thank the President of Mexico, her government and everyone in Mexico.
Then I want to thank President Trump and his administration, but also all Americans who are helping us. And to the Prime Minister of Canada and the whole country, which gathers its forces for this World Cup. I also thank all the 48 national teams and the millions of fans. And I want to thank my entire team at FIFA. It is probably the biggest event in human history. There will be 6.5 million fans in the stadiums and 6 billion people watching from home,” Infantino said at the start of the conference.
The stadium here is legendary. Here Pele and Maradona became champions. It is the only stadium to have hosted three opening matches. It is a real football cathedral. It is an area that has been blessed by the football gods.
– Gianni Infantino
17,000 of media representatives are at this final tournament, a record
Gianni Infantino: “Let's also talk about sensitive topics: Iran, tickets and visas”
Then, the head of FIFA also spoke about the hottest topics of the last few days: the situation of the Iran national team, which cannot stay in the USA after the matches, the price of tickets and the visa situation, especially that of the Somali referee Omar Artan, who was banned from entering the USA, due to an “association with suspected members of terrorist organizations”.
“The topics that kept coming up in the last few weeks are Iran, tickets and visas. They're not about football, they're about the current situation, the way the world is.
I mean, about Iran, I'm very happy. I saw the Iran team in March and people were saying it would be impossible for Iran to be here. And I promised them that they will be here, even if I bring them by bus from Tehran. They said they would do that too. Obviously there are certain challenges and obstacles. There are circumstances that we cannot influence.
When Iran plays, the stadium will be full. And I hope it will be a pleasant atmosphere. This is about football and I hope people put the issues aside. I'm glad we could get Iran to play. I am proud of the work done by my team and the administrations of the three countries that have collaborated with us on this case. We will make sure everything is in order,” said the FIFA president.
I have a great relationship with President Trump and I'm very happy. I met him in his first term. Without his involvement it would have been impossible to organize the World Cup in the USA. He immediately understood the magnitude and impact. He asked everyone to help us and get involved.
– Gianni Infantino,
Gianni Infantino, FIFA president // PHOTO: Ionuț Iordache (GSP)
Gianni Infantino: “To date, we have sold more than 6 million tickets. The money will be reinvested in football”
“The second topic: the tickets. And their price. And whether the stadiums will be full or not. To date, we have sold over 6 million tickets. Some are still for sale, others are kept for qualified teams in the next stages. The demand is a record, far above anything that has been so far. I want to thank the fans who buy tickets. The World Cup is a unique event. The last edition in this area was in 1994 for the USA and in 1986 for Mexico.
The starting price of tickets, $60, is the lowest price for any American sporting event. The price for the finals, $500, is the lowest for any American sporting event. When we put these tickets on sale, they hit other markets and sold for higher prices. Which showed that our prices were right.
Prices were not set overnight. There is a lot of analysis behind it. Regarding the complaints made, I can say that I am relaxed. Before we sold the 6.5 million tickets, we checked with the best lawyers and experts.
We are open to any analysis and investigation. Most importantly, every dollar generated will be reinvested in football. If we had sold our rights on pay-per-view, as others do, we could have generated four times the revenue. But there would be billions of people who wouldn't be able to watch the matches on TV. If we had given away tickets for free, they would still have ended up on the black market for thousands of dollars. For me, as FIFA president, it is important that we invest in countries where others do not. We do it. And we do this from the revenue earned.
Regarding visas, I can say that as far as the US is concerned, there is a fast process for obtaining visas. Which works in most areas. And we got African countries to pay no money for visas. Which no government has done.
It is unfortunate what happened to Omar. But we can't control everything. We will see, we will study what happened. We always try to find solutions, but we are not the kings of the world and we cannot be above governments. We are a sports organization and we try to do the best we can. We want to unite the world. You can criticize me. And if I were to ask you for anything, it would be to please promote the unity and excitement of this sport.
In 2035, we hope the Women's World Cup will be in Great Britain. Would you think it normal for FIFA to dictate to the British government who to let into the country or not? I don't know. Maybe it seems normal to you. Security is above all else and we must respect the decisions. I say take it easy and trust that we are doing our best. But there are some things that cannot be changed,” added Infantino.
I think, and I'm not saying it, but the world around me, that this World Cup will be one of the most spectacular in history. It is very difficult to figure out who will win. Before there were always two or three favourites. Now it is very difficult. Someone from Europe, South America or a surprise from Asia can win. We will have teams playing in different conditions. In Mexico, at altitude, in different climates, in open or closed stadiums. We have to see how they adapt.
– Gianni Infantino
