Football (Soccer) Thread

[HVC]

America is detaining players and refs, meanwhile in mexico

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZT7aM1RnIA/





Although Son is cranky.

[Syt]

https://apnews.com/article/infantino-world-cup-news-conference-7725f0e7df91eeefcbf598bdd9e72f94

FIFA's Infantino defends World Cup ticket prices, says fans 'should chill' about ref denied US entry

MEXICO CITY (AP) — FIFA President Gianni Infantino defended World Cup ticket prices on Wednesday, saying "if we do something wrong, then probably everyone selling tickets in North America is doing something wrong."

Infantino spoke with reporters during a rare question-and-answer session on the eve of the opening match of an expanded 48-nation, 104-game World Cup tournament. He defended record ticket prices, said FIFA was powerless to get the U.S. government to admit a Somali referee, and praised his ability to get Iran's national soccer team into the United States.

FIFA priced tickets starting at $140 for group-stage games, but regular seats for the July 19 final outside New York were listed at up to $8,680 and hospitality seats at up to $73,200. It raised prices for the final to $10,990 and then $32,970.

After much criticism, FIFA offered $60 tickets to national federations for their regular supporters. Infantino said 130,000 tickets were offered in that category.

Four years ago at the tournament in Qatar, prices ranged from $69 to $1,607.

"If you sell it at a lower price point," he said, "in this particular market it would have gone — which is perfectly legal in this country ... in secondary markets at much, much, much higher prices and where would the money go then? Well, to those who organize secondary markets or black market activities and not to football."

Infantino said the average ticket price was below $500 for the tournament and was comparable to other U.S. sports during their playoffs, a claim that while true for resale prices does not appear to be accurate for list prices. Major League Baseball's average World Series ticket price has been $350 to $400 in recent years and NFL prices last season averaged $230 for the wild-card round, $320 for divisional games, $450 for conference championships and $3,300 for the Super Bowl.

Infantino said he was unconcerned about ticket probes by attorneys general in California, New Jersey, New York and Texas.

"When it comes to these legal investigations or complaints that were made in some states in the U.S.," he said, "we are very relaxed about it because before starting to sell 6 and a half or 7 million tickets we check what we do with the best lawyers, with the best experts. If we do something wrong, then probably everyone selling tickets in North America is doing something wrong, as well."

Infantino pointed to the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs as an example of how other major American sporting events are experiencing a similar surge in prices.

The get-in price on FIFA's resale site for the World Cup final is $9,805. The NBA Finals have had wildly varied get-in prices, ranging from a minimum of about $500 for the first two games in San Antonio to about $10,000 for Game 3 in New York. Game 4 in New York was much less, dropping to about $4,000 on Wednesday.

The Stanley Cup Final this year between teams in Las Vegas and Raleigh, North Carolina, has included a get-in price of at least $600 for each of the first four games of the best-of-seven series.

"We welcome every investigation," Infantino said. "We are happy to present everything, and we are happy to make our case."

Infantino says FIFA is powerless to get US entry for denied Somali referee

Infantino said it was unfortunate Somali referee Omar Artan was denied entry to the U.S.

"We don't control everything. We try. We'll discuss, we will speak, we'll see. Maybe sometimes it's good as well to just chill, relax," he said. "We try to solve everything. Sometimes to immediately start screaming and shouting has the opposite effect of finding a solution. Believe me when I tell you, or don't believe me if you don't want, but we try always to find solutions, always. But then we need to respect that we are not the kings of the world who can rule over governments and police forces."

Set to become the first Somali referee at a World Cup, Artan was denied entry to the U.S. at Miami International Airport on Saturday over unspecified "vetting concerns," U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement, without giving details of the concerns.

"Our world is a very aggressive world and security goes above everything and you need to respect the decisions which are taken," Infantino said. "We are working behind the scenes."

Infantino thinks FIFA deserves credit for ensuring Iran's participation

Infantino praised FIFA for working through details that allow Iran to play in the tournament at a time the U.S. is at war with that country. The Iranian team moved its training camp from the U.S. to Mexico and will fly to the United States just before matches.

"I think it has already been successful to bring Iran to play in America," he said. "I don't know who would have managed to do that. And of course everyone here believes it's the right thing to do. But, again, we don't live on the moon. We live on planet Earth and you have to deal with different situations."

Infantino claimed the tournament will be "the biggest event probably in the history of mankind."

Infantino claims tournament could not have taken place without Donald Trump

"Without his engagement and his involvement I think it would have been impossible — as simple as that, it would've been impossible to organize a World Cup in the United States," Infantino said. "He understood immediately the magnitude of the World Cup, the impact of the World Cup."

Infantino says FIFA could make far more money with more broadcast sales to pay services

FIFA is projecting $11 billion in revenue for the tournament, and Infantino said the governing body could have generated far more.

"We could put everything on pay. We would generate $30 billion revenues, probably," he said. "But then you have billions of people in the world who would not be able to watch the World Cup."

This news conference went smoother than Infantino's opening comments in Qatar

Four years ago, Infantino scolded critics during a news conference ahead of the opening match in Qatar. He lectured Europeans for criticizing Qatar's human rights record during a bizarre appearance in which he claimed to feel gay, like a woman and a migrant worker, among other odd claims.

Now 56, Infantino has been FIFA president since 2016 and intends to seek another term next year that runs through 2031.

Infantino kept an empty seat at the news conference for Christophe Gleizes, a French freelance reporter given a seven-year prison sentence in Algeria last year over an interview with a soccer official accused of ties to a banned separatist movement.

[Syt]

Meanwhile, the Uzbek team left their dressing room spotless after playing a friendly in Canada.

[Sheilbh]

FFS Everton

(Although again find the contrast of the joyful abandon with which a mid-table side is punished v Chelsea and the amount of time it's taking on City telling.)

[Duque de Bragança]

In the interest of fairness, Gianni did mention the fate of Christophe Gleizes, a sports journalist, detained in Algeria.

https://eu.usatoday.com/story/sports/soccer/worldcup/2026/06/10/christophe-gleizes-algeria-world-cup-fifa-infantino/90500534007/

FIFA pushes for release of jailed French journalist Christophe Gleizes
JON ARNOLD   USA TODAY
10 hours ago

MEXICO CITY — FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced Wednesday that French journalist Christophe Gleizes, currently in jail for his reporting in Algeria, has been credentialed for the 2026 World Cup as the organization pushes for his release.

Gleizes was detained after reporting on JS Kabylie, a successful Algerian club based in a region where the separatist Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylie is active. Gleizes was convicted of "glorifying terrorism" after having contact with members of the group and convicted to seven years in jail. The sentence was upheld after appeal, but Gleizes withdrew an appeal to the Supreme Court in March in hopes of receiving a pardon from Algeria president Abdelmadjid Tebboune.

"There is an empty seat here in this room today, and this empty seat is for a French journalist, Christophe Gleizes, who is the only sports journalist who is detained in the world," Infantino said. "Of course he has an accreditation, and of course he has his seat here for him.

"I've invited his parents to a game, France-Senegal. But I hope, I really hope that in a great act of humanity, he will be given grace, the presidential grace and can even join us here during the World Cup. But for the time he's not here, his seat is here for him for Christophe."

Gleizes' parents attended the recent French Cup final and also were able to visit the 37-year-old in jail, telling the AFP that he is "being treated well, but he feels increasingly isolated from the outside world."

Now, the hope is that the additional support and attention given to his situation may lead to a pardon this summer.

"My message is to talk about my brother because he's really keen on football," Maxime Gleizes, Christophe's brother said in a statement released by the Sports & Rights Alliance. "He will be really glad, I will be really glad and all the family, to have a mobilization of all the journalists in the entire world during the summer of the World Cup. I hope he will be free before the tournament ends."

[Sheilbh]

I've now got Belgium in three separate sweepstakes

[Norgy]

One last hoorrah for de Bruyne? It could happen.

After watching Morocco almost dismantle Norway for 45 minutes, I have to say I rate them for this tournament.