Tim Weah isn’t shying away from the controversy over ticket prices for the World Cup, even after U.S. Men’s National Team coach Mauricio Pochettino admonished his player earlier this year for discussing the topic.
The USMNT winger attended Thursday’s announcement alongside New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani for the 1,000 World Cup tickets that will be distributed to city residents at a special price of just $50.
Weah, a New York native, was a critic of the extravagant ticket costs for next month’s tournament during an interview with French outlet Le Dauphiné in January and doubled down on his comments, which included him saying he was “disappointed by the ticket prices.”
“I think this opportunity is really healthy for the community and for New York in its whole,” Weah said at Thursday’s announcement, according to The Athletic. “I think as athletes it’s important to have a voice, because we are the pillars of this community. We are the leaders of the next generation.
“As a kid, it was always a dream to be up here and to be in stadiums playing, and if I can help the next kid get to that stage, I think it’s a wonderful feeling.”
Mamdani and Weah were also joined by USMNT center back Mark McKenzie.
The comments and appearance came several months after Pochettino had taken umbrage with Weah’s criticisms and told reporters on a conference call in January that his players should focus on “our job” and that it was “not his duty to evaluate the price of the ticket.”
“We are not politicians. We are sport people that only we can talk about our job,” Pochettino said in part. “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.”
The World Cup will begin next month across North America, when the United States, Mexico and Canada host one of the world’s biggest sporting events.
Costs surrounding the tournament, including ticket prices, transportation and security costs, have dominated the headlines in the lead-up to the event.
