“I wouldn’t pay it”: Donald Trump blasts FIFA World Cup ticket prices as hotels sit shockingly empty

Donald Trump’s support for the 2026 FIFA World Cup is starting to look shaky as hotels across major host cities struggle to fill rooms just weeks before the tournament begins. What was expected to be one of the biggest sporting events in North America is now raising fresh concerns for FIFA after new hotel booking numbers showed far lower demand than expected in several key cities. According to property analytics company CoStar, many hotels in host cities are seeing slower bookings compared to the same period last year. Vancouver has seen one of the biggest drops, with occupancy for match dates sitting at 39 percent compared to 53 percent in 2025. Boston is also struggling ahead of the June 16 match between Norway and Iraq, with hotel bookings reported at only 32 percent.The expanded 48-team format may be one reason behind the slowdown. The tournament will feature 104 matches across 16 cities in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Because games are spread out across so many locations, many international fans may not be planning long city-to-city trips like FIFA originally expected.

Donald Trump questions FIFA ticket prices as Gianni Infantino faces criticism over slow World Cup hotel bookings

The concerns are not limited to hotel rooms. A survey shared by CoStar found that nearly 80 percent of hoteliers across 11 major host markets, including New York, Miami, Seattle, and Philadelphia, said bookings are tracking below early forecasts. New York City hotels have especially felt the slowdown, with around two-thirds of operators reporting weaker demand than expected. In Seattle and Philadelphia, nearly 80 percent of hotels are also seeing lower bookings compared to a normal summer season.Even high-profile matches are not creating the expected rush. Brazil’s June 13 match against Morocco has hotel occupancy sitting around 31 percent, down from 43 percent last year.Industry experts believe several issues are hurting travel demand. Visa delays, political tensions, and rising travel costs are being blamed for keeping many international fans away. Some hotel owners also said FIFA canceled large room blocks that had been reserved earlier for the tournament.The latest concerns come after Donald Trump openly admitted he would not pay the current ticket prices for World Cup games. Speaking to the New York Post, Trump reacted after hearing that entry prices for the United States men’s national team opener against Paraguay in Los Angeles were close to $1,000.“I did not know that number,” Trump said.“I would certainly like to be there, but I wouldn’t pay it either, to be honest with you.”Trump also added, “If people from Queens and Brooklyn and all of the people that love Donald Trump can’t go, I would be disappointed.”Just hours earlier, FIFA president Gianni Infantino defended ticket prices during a conference appearance. Infantino claimed that attending sports events in the United States is already expensive, though many fans online quickly pointed out cheaper ticket examples from baseball and basketball games.FIFA has said there were around 500 million ticket requests for the tournament. Still, resale prices have recently started dropping as more tickets continue to appear online closer to kickoff.