分类： sports

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has added his voice to the mounting backlash against FIFA over exorbitant ticket pricing for the 2026 co-hosted World Cup, revealing in a recent interview that he would refuse to shell out more than $1,000 to attend the United States men’s national team’s opening match of the tournament.

In comments published by the New York Post on Thursday, the former president — who has long touted his role in securing the 2026 World Cup hosting rights for the North American bloc during his first term in office — acknowledged he was caught off guard by the steep ticket costs. “I did not know that number,” Trump told the outlet. “I would certainly like to be there, but I wouldn’t pay it either, to be honest with you.”

Trump’s criticism centers on the impact high prices will have on working- and lower-income Americans, a core electoral base that has backed him through multiple campaigns. He highlighted that his biggest disappointment with the current pricing structure is that it locks out the voters who supported him. “If people from Queens and Brooklyn and all of the people that love Donald Trump can’t go, I would be disappointed, but, you know, at the same time, it’s an amazing success,” he said. “I would like to be able to have the people that voted for me to be able to go.”

The former president’s public pushback marks a rare break from his close personal ties to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who defended the organization’s pricing model just days before Trump’s comments. Infantino argued that FIFA is legally required to allow third-party ticket resale under U.S. regulations, a system that has driven resale prices into the thousands of dollars above original face value. He also pushed back on critics by noting that more than 500 million fan requests for World Cup tickets have already been submitted — a massive jump from the combined total of fewer than 50 million requests for both the 2018 Russia World Cup and 2022 Qatar World Cup. To counter claims of widespread unaffordability, Infantino added that 25% of all group stage tickets are priced below $300.

But critics have pushed back against that defense, drawing stark comparisons between 2026 pricing and the 2022 Qatar tournament. For example, the most expensive face-value ticket for the 2022 World Cup final hovered around $1,600, while the equivalent 2026 final ticket carries a face price of roughly $11,000. The outrage over pricing extends far beyond Trump: U.S. lawmakers and international fan advocacy groups have already slammed FIFA for its tiered pricing structure, with European fan organization Football Supporters Europe calling the model a “monumental betrayal” of football supporters worldwide.

The 2026 World Cup, jointly hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, is scheduled to kick off this coming June, and remains one of the most anticipated global sporting events of the year. But the ongoing controversy over ticket costs has overshadowed build-up to the tournament, turning pricing policy into a high-profile public debate that now draws input from one of the most influential figures in U.S. politics.

Former star Australian international cricketer David Warner, who hung up his international boots in 2024 after a 15-year elite career, will take responsibility for a recent drink-driving charge, his legal representative has confirmed. The 39-year-old athlete was pulled over for a random breath test in the Sydney beachside suburb of Maroubra last month, and recorded a blood alcohol content over the legal limit, leading to the official charge. He has not formally entered a plea in court to date.

Speaking to reporters outside the Sydney courthouse following Thursday’s case hearing, Warner’s lawyer Bobby Hill told media that his client has acknowledged his mistake. “I can indicate that David will be accepting responsibility for drink-driving,” Hill stated, per public broadcaster Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

Warner, who currently holds captaincy roles for both Big Bash League side Sydney Thunder and Pakistan Super League franchise Karachi Kings, did not make an in-person appearance at this week’s hearing. The magistrate adjourned the case to a hearing scheduled for June.

Hill went on to detail the circumstances leading to the offense, noting that Warner had consumed three glasses of wine while visiting a friend’s apartment before making the decision to drive. “He knows what he did was wrong,” Hill said. “He accepts that was a reckless decision, a foolish decision to get in his car instead of taking an Uber.”

The legal representative also pushed back against any mis framing of the incident, noting that drinking alcohol itself was not the offense in this case. “It’s not a crime to have a glass of wine on the day of the lord’s resurrection. In fact, some would consider that completely appropriate,” Hill said. “His crime is, as I said, choosing a foolish plan A instead of a plan B.”

Following the initial charge in April, Cricket New South Wales chief executive Lee Germon released a statement saying the governing body found the allegations deeply concerning and took the matter extremely seriously. “At Cricket NSW, we are strong advocates for safe driving, not drink-driving,” Germon said.

Over the course of his 15-year international career with Australia, Warner made 383 appearances across Test, One Day International and Twenty20 formats, establishing himself as one of the team’s most aggressive and successful opening batters before his retirement in 2024.

In a high-stakes selection reversal that has caught AFL circles by surprise, Carlton Blues have announced that star inside midfielder George Hewett – the club’s reigning best and fairest winner – will return to the senior lineup for Friday night’s clash against the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba. The recall comes just five weeks after coach Michael Voss made the controversial call to drop Hewett following Carlton’s shocking Good Friday defeat to North Melbourne.

After being sent to the Victorian Football League (VFL), Carlton’s reserve competition, Hewett refused to let the setback derail his form. Over the course of a month-long wait for a senior recall, the ball-winning specialist put in a string of dominant performances at the lower level, notching no fewer than 24 disposals in each of his five VFL outings. His standout display came last weekend against St Kilda, where Hewett racked up 31 possessions and kicked two goals to force the selection hand of Carlton’s coaching panel.

Speaking ahead of the crucial round clash, Voss made it clear that Hewett’s specific skill set is exactly what the Blues need to counteract the Lions’ vaunted midfield unit. “He’ll play; he’s been really strong over the last couple of weeks,” Voss told reporters. “He’s added a couple more things into his game in the last few weeks which we’ll hopefully see in this game. He’s been a really valuable teammate for us, you bang the door down to selection through form and he’s certainly done that. We know what we get with George, he’s very reliable. You’ve got to factor in what our balance is looking like (and) he brings a strong contest game. When we talk about Brisbane, they’re strong around stoppages and we’ve got to get our hands on the ball first.”

The recall comes amid one of the most turbulent opening stretches to a season in recent Carlton history, with off-field controversy and on-field inconsistency plaguing Voss and his playing group. The club has faced intense public scrutiny following the ongoing Elijah Hollands saga, while repeated second-half collapses in senior matches have left the Blues languishing with underwhelming early-season results. Last week’s late fade-out, in particular, left Voss frustrated and demanding improvement from his entire squad.

Voss acknowledged that a upset win over the high-flying Lions at the Gabba would provide a massive boost to his side’s flagging morale, but stressed the team cannot afford to look past the process of putting together a full four-quarter performance. “It’d be pretty large, but you don’t think about outcome, that’s stating the absolute obvious about what we’re trying to do here,” he said. “What we do have to focus on is getting our game together, we have to stay connected throughout the whole game to give ourselves the best chance to win. This is a pretty tough environment to win in, they’re a very good side (and) we’re going to have to do a lot right.”

Addressing the team’s recent struggles, Voss admitted the slow start to the season has been frustrating, but framed the setbacks as an opportunity for the group to grow and refine their game plan. “It’s been frustrating, but at the same time, we’ve used those moments to find marginal gains to get better. That’s where we’re at as a team, and you’re living on that knife’s edge a little bit in terms of performance. To have a quarter like we did last week, it’s extremely disappointing. You’ve got to go to work on your game, we let ourselves down defensively. We’ve got to be better, and we have to ask more from one another throughout this game.”

One of the Australian Football League’s most enduring careers is poised to hit a historic new high this weekend, but the road to Scott Pendlebury’s record-breaking milestone has been marred by public debate – and Collingwood head coach Craig McRae is pushing back hard against critics of the club’s planned celebrations.

This Saturday night when Collingwood takes on Geelong, the 38-year-old veteran midfielder will tie Brent Harvey’s all-time AFL record of 432 senior games, a mark the North Melbourne great set during his decorated career. Controversy has erupted in recent days over the club’s choice to rest Pendlebury for Collingwood’s round match against Hawthorn, with widespread expectation he will also sit out the following week’s away clash against Sydney to break the record in front of Collingwood’s home fans. Additional criticism has centered on the gold-colored number 10 jumper Pendlebury is set to wear for the record match, a departure from Collingwood’s iconic black-and-white uniform.

Prominent Collingwood champion Tony Shaw is among the high-profile figures who have publicly questioned the club’s approach to the milestone, leading to accusations that the plan prioritizes individual glory over team success. Speaking to reporters this week, McRae cut a frustrated and confused figure over the backlash, arguing that the club’s choice to center its milestone plans around Pendlebury does not undermine the team’s competitive priorities.

McRae pointed out that Pendlebury has a long-standing pattern of resting after five-day turnarounds between matches, noting the veteran would not have been physically fit to take the field against Hawthorn regardless of the milestone schedule. “I haven’t given (the gold number) much thought, and I reckon you could see all shades of grey around what this looks like,” McRae told reporters. “If we’re just considering that someone is bigger than the team – for that one day, can’t we celebrate one person?”

The coach rejected the core claims of critics, emphasizing that the milestone celebration will not alter how the team approaches the match against Geelong. “It doesn’t mean he’s going to play outside the rules, it doesn’t mean he’s going to play differently to our game plan, and it doesn’t mean the team is going to try and give him the ball all the time,” McRae explained. “We just want to celebrate this one person, and if it’s a jumper with a different colour, I think we’re probably reading a bit too much into it.”

McRae added that Pendlebury himself has consistently downplayed the occasion, sticking to his long-standing mantra of focusing on the game rather than off-field fanfare. “I know Pendles will say this, and he says this all the time when we have big games: ‘Let’s not play the occasion, let’s play the game’,” McRae said. “I think for this one time, let him have the occasion celebrated and we’ll play the game – in essence, I know he will play the game for what it’s worth. But let’s celebrate the occasion for him when it comes.”

In other team news, McRae provided a positive update on fan-favorite small forward Bobby Hill, who has been working his way back to full fitness following an extended injury layoff. Hill is on track to play a full four-quarter match in Collingwood’s reserve side in the Victorian Football League this Saturday, despite a minor illness that kept him sidelined from team training this week.

McRae said he has deferred all decisions around Hill’s return timeline to the club’s high-performance fitness staff, but confirmed the young forward has made clear progress over the past two weeks. “I think Bobby is progressing, I am sort of leaving it up to high performance for when he is fit and available,” McRae said. “He didn’t play a full game last week. As much as we like what he’s doing on the field, he’s still got a hell of a lot of work to do. We’re anticipating that (he plays a full game in the VFL), he hasn’t trained today, he trained last night with the VFL. He’s been a bit ill this week, but we’re anticipating that full game.”

A last-minute policy reversal has cleared the way for Australian soccer fans to gather for public 2026 FIFA World Cup viewings at Melbourne’s iconic Federation Square, after an initial ban on the popular big-screen events sparked widespread public and official outcry earlier this week. The decision to scrap the ban came directly from Jacinta Allan, Premier of the state of Victoria, who intervened Thursday to undo the restriction put in place by the Melbourne Arts Precinct, the public body that manages the downtown public space.

The Melbourne Arts Precinct had justified the ban by pointing to a history of unruly fan behavior at past Socceroos watch parties, most notably the unauthorized use of flares by a small subset of attendees. But the original ruling drew immediate condemnation from Australia’s top soccer governance body, Football Australia, which argued the ban would deprive thousands of supporters of the opportunity to collectively cheer on their national team in a shared, communal setting. Fans also pushed back hard against the restriction, framing it as an unnecessary overreaction that would ruin a beloved World Cup tradition.

In an official statement announcing the reversal, Allan made clear she rejected the original ban’s reasoning entirely. “I disagree with the decision — and I am overturning it,” she said. The premier acknowledged that a small number of attendees at any large public gathering may act out, but stressed that robust security measures would mitigate any risk. “There’s always a risk of bad behaviour from a few dickheads at every public gathering, but police and security will be on site and there’ll be zero tolerance for it,” Allan added. “The World Cup should bring us together, not keep us apart.”

The Socceroos, Australia’s men’s national team, are set to kick off their 2026 World Cup campaign in Vancouver on June 13, where they will face off against Turkey. Six days after the opening match, the team will take on tournament co-host the United States in Seattle, before wrapping up their group stage play against Paraguay in California on June 25.

Following the premier’s intervention, Katrina Sedgwick, director of the Melbourne Arts Precinct, said the organization welcomed the state’s decision to bring the public watch parties back to Federation Square. “We look forward to seeing the Socceroos back on the world stage, and on the Big Screen next month,” Sedgwick said in a statement, confirming the space would be prepared as a safe viewing venue for fans.