Sports
FIFA president: All 104 World Cup matches will be 'sold out'
[US, Mexico & Canada customers only] Dec 5, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; FIFA President Gianni Infantino arrives on the red carpet ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Draw at John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Mandatory Credit: Brian Snyder-Reuters via Imagn Images FIFA president Gianni Infantino said all 104 matches of the 2026 World Cup will be “sold out” despite tickets available for the tournament running from June 11 to July 19.
“The demand is there. Every match is sold out,” Infantino told CNBC in an interview Wednesday from U.S. President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla.
Infantino said there had been 508 million ticket requests in four weeks from more than 200 countries for about seven million available tickets.
“(We’ve) never see anything like that — incredible,” he said.
The 48-team World Cup is taking place across 16 host cities in the United States, Mexico and Canada, with MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., as the site of the World Cup final.
The head of the sport’s governing body said that tournament locations contribute to what soccer supporters’ associations have complained are exorbitant ticket prices.
“I think it is because it’s in America, Canada and Mexico,” he said. “Everybody wants to be part of something special.”
Also affecting prices are resale websites, which take the official ticket that has a fixed price and use “dynamic pricing” leading to the cost to fluctuate.
“You are able as well to resell your tickets on official platforms, secondary markets, so the prices as well will go up,” Infantino said. “That’s part of the market we are in.”
A report in the Straits Times said that a Category 3 seat — the highest section in the stadium — for Mexico’s match against South Africa in the tournament opener on June 11 in Mexico City was listed at $5,324 in the secondary market. The original price was $895.
The same seat category for the World Cup final on July 19, originally priced at $3,450, was advertised for $143,750 on Feb. 11, per the report.
In December, FIFA designated “supporter entry tier” tickets with a $60 price to be allocated to the national federations whose teams are playing. Those federations are expected to make those tickets available “to loyal fans who are closely connected to their national teams,” FIFA said in a press release.
The last time the U.S. served as a World Cup host in 1994, tickets ranged from $25 to $475. At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, prices ranged from $70 to $1,600 after the matches were announced.
Infantino in his comments this week estimated that the 2026 World Cup will raise $11 billion in revenue for FIFA, with “every dollar” to be reinvested in the sport in the 211 member countries.
He said the economic impact for the United States would be around $30 billion “in terms of tourism, catering, security investments and so on.” Infantino also estimated the tournament will attract 20 million to 30 million tourists and create 185,000 full-time jobs.
–Field Level Media
Sports
US, Canada women advance to Olympics curling semis
Taylor Anderson-Heide, Tabitha Peterson and Tara Peterson of the United States advanced to the women’s curling tournament semi-finals on Thursday with a win against Switzerland in the Winter Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. REUTERS/Issei Kato CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — Rachel Homan’s Canada team beat South Korea 10-7 on Thursday to book a spot in the semi-finals of the women’s curling competition at the Winter Olympics, where they will be joined by the United States.-
Both teams needed to win to lock in a place in the final four, and Homan delivered a fine performance to seal an Olympic semi-finals spot for the first time in her career.
Canada, two-time world champions, were pre-tournament favorites to win gold, but Homan’s record at the Olympics has been poor. She participated in the past two Games, finishing sixth as skip of the women’s team in 2018 and then once again ending up outside the qualification spots for the semi-finals while competing in the mixed doubles in 2022.
Canada had a poor start to its round-robin campaign with just one win after the opening four games.
“We’ve been in a single elimination tournament. We started off a little bit slow,” Homan said.
“We knew our game. We knew our training. We had belief in each other and just tried to stick with the process. … It’s hard playing a single elimination game the entire time, but that’s what the Olympics is. It’s a tough field.
“Everyone’s gunning for you, and you have to bring your best every single time or it’s going to be a loss.”
Tabitha Peterson and her United States teammates are hoping to become the first U.S. women’s team to win an Olympic medal. They claimed a 7-6 win over Switzerland, which already had sealed a spot in the semi-finals.
The game went into an extra end and Switzerland set up two stones in the house, but Peterson made a difficult draw with her last shot to snatch the win.
Asked about the final shot, the team’s second Tara Peterson said: “We just told her the speed. … You give Tab a draw, she’s going to make it, so we were very happy to have that opportunity.”
The United States will meet Switzerland once again in the semi-finals on Friday, while round-robin leader Sweden takes on fourth-place Canada.
Great Britain, the defending Olympic champion, beat host Italy 7-4 to finish sixth.
–Reuters, Special to Field Level Media
Sports
Ex-skipper Bob Melvin rejoins A's as special assistant
Oct 3, 2021; Houston, Texas, USA; Oakland Athletics manager Bob Melvin (6) looks on from the dugout before the start of the game against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Longtime Oakland manager Bob Melvin has rejoined the Athletics as a special assistant in baseball operations.
Melvin, 64, “will serve as an adviser to the front office on baseball matters,” the team announced on Thursday.
Melvin managed the Oakland A’s from 2011-21, reaching the playoffs six times and winning two American League Manager of the Year awards (2012, 2018).
He compiled a record of 1,678-1,588 in 22 seasons as a skipper with the Seattle Mariners (2003-04), Arizona Diamondbacks (2005-09), Athletics, San Diego Padres (2022-23) and San Francisco Giants (2024-25).
The Giants fired Melvin following an 81-81 finish last season.
Melvin also earned National League Manager of the Year honors with the Diamondbacks in 2007. None of his teams reached the World Series.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Hawks convert F Caleb Houstan to standard contract
Oct 11, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Caleb Houstan (33) handles the ball as Memphis Grizzlies forward Tyler Burton (4) defends during the fourth quarter at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images The Atlanta Hawks converted forward Caleb Houstan’s contract from a two-way deal to a standard NBA contract Thursday. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Houstan, 23, has played in 10 games for Atlanta this season and averaged 2.3 points and 4.9 minutes as a reserve.
The Orlando Magic selected Houstan in the second round (32nd overall) of the 2022 NBA Draft out of Michigan. He played his first three seasons with the Magic and averaged 4.1 points, 1.5 rebounds and 14.4 minutes in 168 games (23 starts) from 2022-25.
Houstan signed a two-way contract with the Hawks on Oct. 18, 2025. He averaged 15.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 32.9 minutes in 30 games (all starts) this season with the College Park Skyhawks of the NBA G League.
He became the first Hawks player to appear in NBA and G League games on the same day on Dec. 3, playing a daytime game with the Skyhawks and a night game with Atlanta.
–Field Level Media
US, Canada women advance to Olympics curling semis
Ex-skipper Bob Melvin rejoins A's as special assistant
