FIFA may have picked the wrong fight.
Donald Trump raised eyebrows this week after openly criticizing soaring FIFA World Cup ticket prices, joking that even he would not pay some of the numbers fans are seeing for premium seats.
The comments immediately sparked reactions online and suddenly put FIFA in an awkward spotlight ahead of the biggest soccer tournament in the world. Fans have already complained about hotel costs, travel expenses and massive resale prices, but hearing Trump pile on only added more fuel to the fire.
For FIFA, this is not the kind of publicity it wants heading into a World Cup hosted in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The tournament is supposed to feel like a global celebration. Instead, many fans are wondering if they will need a second mortgage just to sit in the upper deck.
Trump’s remarks were short and playful, but they landed. When even a billionaire former president says the tickets are too expensive, average sports fans feel pretty validated.
FIFA now finds itself in hot water over one growing question: who can actually afford to go?
