THE head of Donald Trump’s World Cup taskforce has defended Fifa’s controversial ticket prices and is convinced the American people will ultimately be the winners.
In an exclusive interview with The U.S. Sun, Andrew Giuliani brushed off concerns from fans worldwide about the exorbitant cost of seeing the greatest soccer players on earth, stressing there have already been sales of six million for the 104 games.
With just weeks remaining before the largest ever World Cup — with an expanded 48 teams — kicks off across the United States, Canada and Mexico, pressure is mounting on the soccer world governing body amid growing fan frustration.
New Jersey representatives Nellie Pou and Frank Pallone Jr. have demanded answers from Fifa president Gianni Infantino over “opaque pricing” and potentially misleading ticketing practices.
The politicians say ordinary supporters are being priced out of the tournament due to dynamic pricing models, confusing sales systems and escalating resale costs.
Supporter groups across Europe and North America have accused the organizers of turning the World Cup into a luxury event aimed primarily at corporations and wealthy tourists, leaving real fans out in the cold.
Tickets for the final at MetLife Stadium in July reportedly climbed from roughly $6,700 to nearly $11,000 for premium seats.
Incredibly, tickets have been listed on the official resale site run by Fifa for more than $1 million.
But Giuliani says the demand is there for all to see — and for those who cannot make it to the stadium, he says they should thank the POTUS for releasing funds to help stage fan fests in all 11 host cities.
“There’s obviously a huge demand for tickets,” he told The U.S. Sun. “I’ve heard that close to six million tickets have been sold. I think we’re talking a little under seven million tickets in total for the 104 games.
“So it’s understandable why tickets are priced the way they are.”
Fifa retains all direct income from ticket sales, broadcasting and global sponsorships, leaving cities to recoup their massive infrastructure and security investments largely through indirect tourism taxes.
Staging official fan parties for most of the tournament is a mandatory, high-cost obligation that host cities must fund and operate themselves.
The U.S. Sun revealed the anger of residents in Foxborough earlier this year after the town was left facing an $8 million security bill, which one resident claimed could bankrupt the community of just 18,000 people.
Billionaire Robert Kraft eventually stepped in to ease the issue.
Giuliani, however, wants people to recognize that without President Trump freeing up a $625 million safety and security grant spread across the host cities, low-cost entry to these fan zones would not have been secured.
“This was something the president thought was truly important,” he continued. “That way, whether or not people could afford a ticket to the World Cup, they would still have the ability to experience it in a gathering place within these host cities.”
Giuliani predicts it will cost the United States around $2 billion to stage what will be the largest soccer tournament ever.
There are genuine fears that World Cup host cities could be hit with bills of $100 million to $200 million each just to cover the logistics of these fan zones, which could cost up to $1 million a day to operate.
The huge price tag is already sparking political drama, with some city leaders threatening to block permits unless security costs are paid in advance.
Major cities like Chicago rejected the opportunity amid concerns about sticking taxpayers with years of debt.
Some critics warn the short-term economic boom will not come close to covering the long-term costs of security and infrastructure upgrades.
But Giuliani believes taxpayers will ultimately profit from hosting the World Cup — potentially to the tune of around $30 billion.
Source : https://www.the-sun.com/sport/16334476/world-cup-tickets-fifa-andrew-giuliani-donald-trump/