Nation Thailand
World Cup opens under pressure over visas and ticket prices
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FIFA president Gianni Infantino used his pre-tournament briefing to defend the governing body’s handling of several off-pitch issues, saying organisers were dealing with problems where they could but could not override national governments.
Key facts
- The comments came after Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan was refused entry to the United States despite holding a valid visa
- According to Infantino, the cheapest tickets start at US$60, a level he said compared favourably with entry prices for major American sports playoff events.
- The starting price at US$60 is the lowest entry price of any of the American sports in the playoff phases,”
- He said more than six million tickets had already been sold for the 48-team tournament, with demand far stronger than FIFA had expected.
Summary
The comments came after Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan was refused entry to the United States despite holding a valid visa. US authorities said the decision was linked to alleged connections with “suspected members of terror organisations”, bringing immigration controls into sharper focus ahead of a tournament being staged across the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Infantino called the case unfortunate but pushed back against suggestions that FIFA could simply intervene and force a different outcome.