BRIG — Gianni Infantino is overseeing the 2026 World Cup, the first tournament to be both awarded and delivered during his tenure as president of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). The event, scheduled to run from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Mexico, and Canada, will feature 48 teams and 104 matches, an increase from 32 teams in previous editions.
Infantino has declared the 2026 World Cup to be the greatest of all time, even as controversies emerge over ticket sales and hotel bookings. Fans who purchased mid-tier tickets have reported receiving nosebleed seats despite consulting color-coded seating maps. FIFA stated that those maps were only “guidelines.” The organization changed stadium seating maps between sales phases, with later phases becoming progressively more expensive, and held back some front-row Category 1 seats to resell in April at two to three times their original price.
The attorneys general of California, New Jersey, and New York have launched investigations into FIFA’s ticket sales practices. Infantino dismissed complaints about pricing, stating that FIFA is charging market rates for North America.
Hotel booking issues have also drawn scrutiny. The American Hotel & Lodging Association reported that reservations for the tournament have fallen short of expectations and partially blamed FIFA for driving up early prices by booking excessive room blocks and later canceling many of them.
Infantino became FIFA president in 2016 and was reelected unopposed for a second full term in 2023. A former high-ranking FIFA official said, “It’s safe to say that there’s no major decision that’s being made at this tournament without the direct involvement of Gianni.” The same official added, “He doesn’t trust many people. His circle is very small.”
At a rare 2023 news conference, Infantino said, “I don’t understand why some of you are so mean. Why? Why?” He has previously described FIFA as “the official happiness provider to humanity.”