‘None of your business’ – Timothy Weah warned over controversial World Cup ticket price verdict

Simon Jordan has joined Mauricio Pochettino in warning Timothy Weah following his claim that tickets to this summer’s World Cup are ‘too expensive’.

The USMNT and Marseille player’s comments came amid public uproar over FIFA’s ticket pricing for the tournament held in Central and North America in the summer.

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The cheapest ticket for the 2026 World Cup final will cost more than $4,000 for members of the England fan association, and those looking to see all their team’s games will pay more than $8,000.

Weah said: “It is too expensive, football should still be enjoyed by everyone. It is the most popular sport. This World Cup will be good, but it will be more of a show.

“I am just a bit disappointed by the ticket prices. Lots of real fans will miss matches.”

Many fans, from across the globe, are refusing to buy any tickets, although in response to what appears to be a growing crisis FIFA has released a batch of more affordable tickets.

Only a handful of fans will be able to get their hands on them as the governing body said just 10 per cent will be given to each nation.

Prices will likely be significantly higher for fans who are not members of fan associations as part of a dynamic pricing scheme, due to the huge demand.

To compare, tickets for the Euro 2024 final between England and Spain in Berlin were available from $110.

Weah’s comments may well chime with many working class fans’ own views, but Pochettino, his national coach, was not pleased to hear one of his players giving his two cents.

“First of all, I think players need to talk on the pitch, playing football, not outside of the [pitch],” the former Chelsea, PSG and Tottenham manager said.

“It is not [Weah’s] duty to evaluate the price of the ticket. And then also my duty is to prepare the team, the U.S. men’s national team, in the best way to perform.

“We are not politicians. We are sports people that only we can talk about our job. And I think if FIFA does something or takes some decision, they know why, and it is their responsibility to explain why. But it’s not up to us to provide our opinion.”

Pochettino’s comments have in turn drawn criticism in the US, with Weah praised in some quarters for his honesty on the issue which is dominating the World Cup discourse.

Across the Atlantic, talkSPORT host Simon Jordan backed Pochettino and suggested Weah keep quiet.

“Mauricio Pochettino is the person that manages him and he thinks he’d be better served making sure that his US team are the beneficiaries of his performance on the field rather than the warblings of his trap,” he said.

He added “It’s none of [Weah’s] business. It isn’t any of his business.”

Pointing to possible hypocrisy from the USMNT star, he said: “You know that these American players are, for playing for their country, are very, very well remunerated.

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“They get paid a lot of money for playing for the national sides and so what’s that going to? I’m just saying he’ll be the beneficiary of some of those revenues won’t he?

“So I’m assuming that he can give up the money that he’s going to get from playing for his national side? Because these sort of people are always the first ones to point to other people saying ‘well you should do that’ but what about you then?

“We’ll cut all the salaries in football. We’ll reduce all the revenue streams for everybody else and we’ll give it back to the fans. If all the players take less money in every walk of life we can all have free tickets.

“Is he a wonderful addition to the American team or is he somebody that might just be getting a little bit of attention for himself by signaling to the audience that he’s a wonderful representative of the great unwashed that should be going to these games?”

Will Weah be part of the World Cup team?

Whatever the rights and wrongs of the issue, Pochettino is likely to include Weah in his squad for the side’s home tournament.

The son of Milan legend George, who won the Ballon d’Or in 1995, he has played 28 games for Marseille across all competitions, scoring three goals and assisting four.

He also offers tactical flexibility, playing as both a winger and a fullback at club level.

The US are in a group D with Paraguay, Australia, and either Turkey, Slovakia, Kosovo or Romania.

It’s a group that offers the US a chance to get out of the first stage and into the knockout stages, where they have been beaten in each of their last three appearances at the tournament (2010, 2014 and 2022).

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