Former Prince Andrew's arrest a 'threat to the monarchy,' royal expert says

ThearrestofAndrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the brother ofKing Charles IIIand son of the lateQueen Elizabeth II, is threatening Britain's monarchy in an unprecedented way, royal experts say.

Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known asPrince Andrew, was arrested Thursday, his 66th birthday, on suspicion of misconduct in public office, according to the Thames Valley Police

Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested at Sandringham estate, the king's estate, in eastern England. Buckingham Palace said Thursday that Charles was not informed ahead of his brother's arrest, which follows theemergence of documentsdetailing communication between Andrew and the late convicted sex offenderJeffrey Epstein.

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Mountbatten-Windsor, the first senior royal arrested in recent history, has previously denied wrongdoing with respect to Epstein.

"It's undoubtedly a threat to the monarchy," ABC News royal contributor Robert Jobson said Thursday of Mountbatten-Windsor's arrest, noting the historic and "seismic" nature of a police raid taking place at a royal estate.

British police arrest Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on suspicion of misconduct

"I think some people, many people, younger people included, will argue, what is the point of an institution that's unelected when you've got criminality, or potential criminality, actually unfolding like this and members of the royal family being arrested and cautioned ... to give evidence under oath in an interview?" Jobson said on "Good Morning America." "It's shocking."

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Charles, who ascended to the throne in 2022 following Elizabeth's death, called for the law to "take its course" in a statement issued Thursday by Buckingham Palace.

"I have learned with the deepest concern the news about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and suspicion of misconduct in public office," Charles said in the statement. "What now follows is the full, fair and proper process by which this issue is investigated in the appropriate manner and by the appropriate authorities. In this, as I have said before, they have our full and wholehearted support and co-operation."

Charles continued, "Let me state clearly: the law must take its course. As this process continues, it would not be right for me to comment further on this matter. Meanwhile, my family and I will continue in our duty and service to you all."

Charles' son Prince William, heir to the throne, and William's wife Kate, the Princess of Wales, did not issue a new statement following Mountbatten-Windsor's arrest, but ABC News understands they support the king's statement.

Just hours after news of Mountbatten-Windsor's arrest was made public, both Charles and his wife, Queen Camilla, attended public engagements -- Charles attending a fashion show and Camilla attending an orchestra performance -- though neither answered reporters' questions about Mountbatten-Windsor.

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Prince Andrew stripped of his 'prince' title, per Buckingham Palace

While the royal adage has long been to "keep calm and carry on," the royal family's commitment to continuing their duties has so far not moved the public discussion away from Mountbatten-Windsor, according to ABC News royal contributor Victoria Murphy.

"The focus on this over the past few years, and particularly the past few days, has been very damaging. What we've seen in the past few days is ... members of the royal family heckled on official engagements to an extent that we absolutely have not seen before," Murphy said Thursday, referring to recent incidents in which the queen and others have faced shouted comments about Mountbatten-Windsor.

"I think that really shows … that this is not just an issue, as they keep saying, for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, but it is also sparking huge discussion and debate around the monarchy as a whole," Murphy added.

Murphy described Mountbatten-Windsor's arrest as "potentially hugely damaging" for Britain's royal family, noting that anti-monarchy groups are using the fallout from Mountbatten-Windsor's ties to Epstein to renew their calls for an end to the monarchy.

"We're seeing very mixed opinions [in the U.K.] on how they're handling this and what they should do now," she said. "But we're all seeing a kind of resurgence in debates and discussions around monarchy itself, around this system that we have. People are really questioning that now."

Though Mountbatten-Windsor faced scrutiny for his ties to Epstein during Elizabeth's reign, it was not until his brother took the throne that Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested.

As king, Charles has alreadystrippedMountbatten-Windsor of his "style, titles and honours," including his prince title, and, more recently,evictedMountbatten-Windsor from his longtime home, Royal Lodge, on the grounds of Windsor Castle.

Even with his titles stripped, Mountbatten-Windsor, as a child of the queen, remains in the line of succession, as do his daughters Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie and their combined four children. Mountbatten-Windsor is currently eighth in line to the throne behind William and his younger brother Prince Harry and their combined five children.

In addition to the fallout from Mountbatten-Windsor's arrest, Charles and his family may also face lingering questions from the public about what they knew and when, as it relates to Mountbatten-Windsor's ties to Epstein, according to Jobson.

Epstein-related documentsreleasedby the U.S. Department of Justice in January include correspondence between Mountbatten-Windsor and Epstein in 2010, after Epstein concluded a 13-month jail sentence and work release, the result of a 2008 plea bargain with federal prosecutors in Florida.

The documents also show the two men communicated beyond the time Mountbatten-Windsor said publicly that he had cut ties with Epstein.

"This cover-up, if it does turn out to be a cover-up, could be a real damage, serious damage to the royal family, because you've got to remember, this has been in the public domain for over 16 years," Jobson said, later adding, "This does not really look good for the institution, as well as the individual."

WatchImpact x Nightline, "The Prince, The Predator and The Arrest," now streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.

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February 19, 2026

Former Prince Andrew's arrest a 'threat to the monarchy,' royal expert says

ThearrestofAndrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the brother ofKing Charles IIIand son of the lateQueen Elizabeth II, is threatenin...

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Catherine O’Hara Did This Sweet Thing For “The Studio” Crew While Filming in Las Vegas (Exclusive)

The Studio's costume designer, Kameron Lennox, reveals that Catherine O'Hara paid for the crew members' restaurant bill while in Las Vegas

NEED TO KNOW

• "She really understood everybody's role and was just a very kind-hearted person," Lennox told PEOPLE at the 28th Costume Designers Guild Awards on Thursday, Feb. 12

• O'Hara died on Friday, Jan. 30, at the age of 71

The Studio's costume designer, Kameron Lennox, is recalling a sweet momentCatherine O'Harashared with the show's crew when filming in Las Vegas.

Speaking exclusively with PEOPLE at the 28th Costume Designers Guild Awards in Los Angeles on Thursday, Feb. 12, Lennox shared her favorite memory of working withthe late actress.

"We had a lot of great memories, but the one that I've been telling a lot lately is when we were shooting in Vegas last year, we were shooting for two weeks, living inside a casino, filming inside of a casino," Lennox said. "Nobody left the casino. It was like 110 degrees outside. And so we would all kind of find each other at different restaurants."

"A group of us went to dinner one night, and she was at another table with other crew members having dinner. And then she saw us, spotted us, came over, said hello, and then they left. And then when we went to go get the bill, she had paid our bill," she continued.

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Lennox, who received the award for Excellence in Contemporary Television at the ceremony, noted that the simple gesture was "very sneaky, sweet."

She continued, "I'm like, 'You're so sneaky and sweet.' But just that gesture alone, it's like she really understood everybody's role and was just a very kind-hearted person."

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O'Hara starred as Patty Leigh, a former studio head at the fictional Continental Pictures who was replaced by her protégé,Seth Rogen's Matt Remick, on the hit Apple TV comedyThe Studio.

The legendary comedian, known for roles inBeetlejuice,Home AloneandSchitt's Creek, died on Friday, Jan. 30, at the age of 71. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed thatO'Hara died after suffering from a pulmonary embolism, according to a death certificate obtained by PEOPLE. Rectal cancer was listed as the underlying cause of embolism.

Lennox said filming season two ofThe Studiohas been bittersweet after O'Hara's death. "Coming back for [the] second season, everything just felt like, 'Oh, we're home again.' But this, especially, it's been hard on everybody. Yeah. It's been a rough go at it."

Following her death, Rogenpenned an emotional tributeto O'Hara and posted a candid moment of O'Hara giggling behind his back on Instagram. In his caption, the creator and director of the show expressed his sadness over the news.

"I told O'Hara when I first met her I thought she was the funniest person I'd ever had the pleasure of watching on screen," Rogen wrote. "Home Alonewas the movie that made me want to make movies."

He added, "Getting to work with her was a true honour. She was hysterical, kind, intuitive, generous… she made me want to make our show good enough to be worthy of her presence in it. This is just devastating. We're all lucky we got to live in a world with her in it."

Read the original article onPeople

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Catherine O’Hara Did This Sweet Thing For “The Studio” Crew While Filming in Las Vegas (Exclusive)

The Studio 's costume designer, Kameron Lennox, reveals that Catherine O'Hara paid for the crew members' rest...

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Shia LaBeouf used homophobic slurs while assaulting New Orleans bar patrons, police say

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Actor Shia LaBeouf faces battery charges and is accused of repeatedly using homophobic slurs whilehitting multiple peopleat a New Orleans bar duringMardi Gras, according to a police report.

Shia LaBeouf Arrest

The New Orleans police report obtained by The Associated Press via a public records request states that LaBeouf, 39, "became irate and aggressive throughout the night" and struck multiple people with a closed fist at the Royal Street Inn & R Bar, near the historic French Quarter.

Jeffrey Damnit, a well-known local entertainer who police identified as Jeffrey Klein in the incident report, said he was one of the people attacked by LaBeouf.

"He hit me, he connected a few times with punches, he pushed me a few times," Damnit said.

LaBeouf "just got nuts" trying to start fights and telling the entertainer and others that he would beat them up, Damnit said. He added that LaBeouf had pushed him from behind at the bar earlier in the night, shouting homophobic slurs and threatening his life.

Damnit was wearing eye makeup and lipstick and said he believes his appearance motivated LaBeouf's attack.

"That's just somehow something that set him off, angered him and gave him a direction for his anger," Damnit said. "This guy wants me to be dead because I wear makeup. It's a screwed up thing."

A video shows a shirtless LaBeouf shoving one person to the ground and hitting another person in the face, "causing his nose to possibly dislocate," according to the police report.

Damnit and others subdued LaBeouf and tried to get him to leave the area, but he would not leave and became more aggressive, according to Damnit and the police report.

Police arrived at the bar around 12:45 a.m. on the morning of the city's famousFat Tuesdayrevelry.

Another video recorded by Damnit and shared with the AP shows LaBeouf looking at the camera and appearing to mouth a homophobic slur while police detained him. He continued to repeat the slur throughout the arrest, the police report stated.

"These f–––––s put me in jail," LaBeouf said, and then told police he's Catholic, according to the report.

"I didn't shove nobody, I never touched nobody," LaBeouf tells New Orleans police officers in the video recorded by Damnit.

Representatives from LaBeouf did not immediately respond to request for comment. In the early morning hours of Feb. 18, LaBeouf wrote "Free me" on his X account.

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A New Orleans magistrate judge ordered LaBeouf to be released from custody on Tuesday without a bond requirement, according to Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office spokesperson Gary Scheets. LaBeouf faces two counts of simple battery.

Videos later show LaBeouf dancing throughout the French Quarter and appears to show him waving his jail release papers.

Damnit, a member of the Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, says he is worried that he will face ramifications in his professional career for pressing charges against LaBeouf.

This isn't the first time LaBeouf has faced legal troubles. He was sent to court-ordered rehabilitation after being arrested in New York in 2017 for public drunkenness and disorderly conduct, which was captured on livestream video.

While on location in Georgia filming "The Peanut Butter Falcon," later that year, he wasarrestedfor public drunkenness and accused of disorderly conduct and obstruction andsentenced to probation.

In 2020, he was charged withmisdemeanor battery and petty theftin Los Angeles.

That year, the English singer and actorFKA Twigs, whose legal name is Tahliah Barnett, also fileda lawsuitalleging LaBeouf was physically and emotionally abusive to her during their relationship, which theysettled in July.

Barnett said LaBeouf put her in a constant state of fear and humiliation, once slammed her into a car, tried to strangle her and knowingly gave her a sexually transmitted disease.

LaBeouf apologized in a statement after the lawsuit was filed. He also denied the accusations in the lawsuit in a 2021 filing, saying any injuries done or damages incurred by Barnett were not his doing.

The 39-year-old first gained acclaim as a child for his role on the Disney Channel series "Even Stevens," and continued working steadily into adulthood. He is perhaps best known for his roles in 2007′s "Transformers" and in 2008′s "Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull."

LaBeouf shares a daughter, born in 2022, with actor Mia Goth.

AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr and AP Writer Juan A. Lozano contributed to this report.

Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative.Report for Americais a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

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February 19, 2026

Shia LaBeouf used homophobic slurs while assaulting New Orleans bar patrons, police say

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Actor Shia LaBeouf faces battery charges and is accused of repeatedly using homophobic slurs whilehitt...

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Weekend nor'easter forecast to be a 'big storm.' But there's a catch

A snowstorm is coming, but its impacts to the East Coast still remain highly uncertain just a few days before the event.

"An East Coast storm could develop as soon as Sunday Feb. 22, but the track of this potential nor'easter isn't yet determined, leaving impacts such as snow, rain, wind and coastal flooding uncertain from New England to the mid-Atlantic states," saidWeather.com meteorologist Jonathan Erdman in an online forecast.

Another forecaster, AccuWeather meteorologist Jon Porter, told USA TODAY Feb. 19 that "there's going to be a big storm, but it could be just off the Atlantic coast." He said a slight shift to the west will result in higher snow totals, but a slight shift to the east means lower snow totals.

Uncertainty isn't unusual

Porter said this level of uncertainty just a few days before a storm isn't unusual. "This is a pretty typical snow threat for the eastern U.S."

One reason for the uncertainty, he said, is that part of the energy that will fuel the storm is still off the California coast. He said once that energy comes onshore in the next day or so, it will be better sampled by the National Weather Service's balloon network. This will give better data for the computer weather models to digest.

"Small details will matter in determining the final outcome of the storm," he said.

Jose Castillo of Tarrytown, NY. walks through snow along Route 9 in Tarrytown during the early hours of the winter storm Jan. 25, 2026. The storm was predicted to drop up to a foot of snow on the lower Hudson Valley. A huge winter storm dumped heavy amounts of snow and ice across wide swaths of the U.S.

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See fun faces of people making the best of winter weather

Jose Castillo of Tarrytown, NY. walks throughsnowalong Route 9 in Tarrytown during the early hours of the winter storm Jan. 25, 2026. The storm was predicted to drop up to a foot of snow on the lower Hudson Valley. A huge winter storm dumped heavy amounts of snow and ice across wide swaths of the U.S.

Subtle changes in track mean drastic changes to impacts

Theweather service confirmswhat the private forecasters say: "There remains a strong potential for a coastal low by Sunday [Feb. 22] and early Monday [Feb. 23] for the East Coast, but the track of the low remains uncertain. A track closer to the coast would result in heavy coastal rain and inland snow from the Mid-Atlantic to New England, and strong winds near the coast with the potential for coastal flooding."

However, the weather service said a more offshore track would mean less inland precipitation and wind, and the heaviest precipitation near the Delmarva Peninsula and extending to eastern North Carolina.

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"Both scenarios remain equally plausible at this point, but potential remains for some possible impactful snow somewhere near the Mid-Atlantic to the Northeast. This will continue to be monitored closely as even subtle changes in track could mean more drastic changes to impacts," the weather service said in anonline forecast discussion.

A National Weather Service forecast issued on Feb. 19 for Saturday, Feb. 21, through Sunday, Feb. 22, shows the potential for rain, mixed precipitation or snow from Texas to New England. Meanwhile, forecasts for Monday, Feb. 23, show a chance of snow throughout the Northeast.

Dueling models

Two of the main weather models that forecasters use to predict weather − colloquially known as the American and the European models − can't seem to agree on the forecast. The American "GFS" model still shows a big storm for the big cities of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, with 2 to 3 feet or more of snowfall, which is "unbelievable," said Weather Trader meteorologist Ryan Maue in an email to USA TODAY.

However, he said the European (ECMWF) weather model "is still NOT interested in the coastal storm having major impacts to the Mid-Atlantic or the Northeast. We're currently in the 2 inches to 4 inches category as the highest probability outcome," according to the European model, Maue said.

AccuWeather agrees with the Euro model, and as of Feb. 19 is calling for 1-3 inches of snow in Philadelphia and New York City, and 2-4 inches in Boston.

The weather service, pointing out the differences between the models, summed it up this way: "This continues to be a low-confidence forecast at this time as it pertains to extent of wintry weather and coastal winds."

AccuWeather's Porter said "we'll know more in the next 24 hours."

Doyle Rice is a national correspondent for USA TODAY, with a focus on weather and climate.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Weekend nor'easter, snow storm in forecast, but there's a catch

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February 19, 2026

Weekend nor'easter forecast to be a 'big storm.' But there's a catch

A snowstorm is coming, but its impacts to the East Coast still remain highly uncertain just a few days before the event. ...

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Couple who alleges IVF clinic mixed up their embryos continue court battle to find child's parents

A judge ordered weekly hearings in a case involving a Florida couple who alleges that an IVF clinic gave them the wrong embryos, which they learned upon the birth of a baby girl last year.

Tiffany Score and Steven Mills filed a lawsuit against the Fertility Center of Orlando last month, asking that the reproductive health clinic identify the biological parents of the baby Score gave birth to in December, according to the complaint filed last month. The couple is also asking for information on what happened to their own embryos and whether or not someone else gave birth to their biological child.

According to the January complaint, Score gave birth to a baby girl on Dec. 11, 2025, but it was immediately clear that the baby was unlikely to be related to the couple. Mills and Score are both "racially caucasian" while the baby had the appearance of a "racially non-caucasian child," the complaint said.

"Genetic testing also proved that the baby was not Mills and Score's biological child," according to the complaint.

The couple said that they developed a strong bond with the baby girl, but that they feel a moral and legal obligation to unite her with her biological parents.

Score and Mills also feel they deserve to be relieved of the "ever-increasing mental anguish of not knowing whether a child or children belonging to them are in someone else's care."

A motion filed last week requested an emergency hearing in the case, after the couple alleged that the fertility clinic failed to identify the baby's parents to them, and that a person contacted them to say they had an embryo transfer at the same time as Score did last year.

"This patient, acting on her own initiative in response to published media reports about this litigation, self-reported to Plaintiffs as someone who also had an embryo transfer on April 7, 2025, and who birthed a baby in December 2025," the motion said.

The woman, who was not identified, has a last name similar to the couple's, the motion said. Photos of her and her husband also allegedly show they have a similar physical appearance to the baby girl who Score birthed in December.

But the woman gave birth to a baby boy, and Score and Mills were under the belief their remaining embryos were girls, the motion said.

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The motion alleges that the clinic did provide the couple with a report, but that it only detailed the clinic's processes and did not include information on who else might have received their embryo or who the baby girl's parents might be.

Robert T. Terenzio, an attorney representing Fertility Center of Orlando, submitted a letter to the court outlining a proposed protocol for investigating the situation in order to protect the privacy of the patients.

Among the items on the list was having the clinic work on an internal investigation separate from updates to the court. It also suggested providing the court with operational facts and aggregate information that do not contain identifiable information openly, but only providing information that contains personal identifying information under appropriate safeguards, according to the letter filed with the court.

Terenzio did not immediately respond to NBC News' request for comment on the matter on Thursday.

The Fertility Center of Orlando told NBC News affiliate WESH that it was "actively cooperating with an investigation to support one of our patients."

"Multiple entities are involved in this process, and all parties are working diligently to help identify when and where the error may have occurred," the statement said. "Our priority remains transparency and the well-being of the patient and child involved."

Judge Margaret Schreiber ordered weekly status hearings in the case during an emergency relief hearing on Tuesday, according to the court minutes.

The clinic was ordered to provide a certification that the patients were contacted, as well as to advise the court on who has waived their confidentiality and who has not. A report on the confidentiality matter will be sent directly to the court 24 hours before the next hearing.

Attorneys representing Score and Mills did not immediately respond to an email from NBC News requesting comment on Thursday. The couple told WESH on Wednesday that, until this week's hearing, the clinic had not provided them with a timeline or any verifiable information in the case.

"Faced with the prospect of a court order at yesterday's hearing, the clinic has now promised cooperation, but that promise has not yet been fulfilled," they said. "We hope it will be."

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Couple who alleges IVF clinic mixed up their embryos continue court battle to find child's parents

A judge ordered weekly hearings in a case involving a Florida couple who alleges that an IVF clinic gave them the wrong e...

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Trump admin restores Philadelphia slavery exhibit after judge set deadline

The National Park Service (NPS) on Thursday began restoring the panels that were removed from the slavery exhibit at the President's House in Philadelphia.

The restoration comes after U.S. District Judge Cynthia Rufe ordered the Trump administration to do so by 5 p.m. on Friday. The outdoor exhibit is a memorial to the nine enslaved Africans who were held at the site by President George Washington.

NPS workersbegan restoring the panelsahead of the deadline, according to ABC station in Philadelphia, WPVI.

The deadline was set in an order filed on Wednesday by Rufe, who is overseeing Philadelphia's federal lawsuit against the Trump administration over the removal of the slavery exhibit, The exhibit wastaken down by the National Park Service (NPS) on Jan. 23.

Rufegranted a preliminary injunction requested by the city of Philadelphia in a Monday ruling, ordering the Department of Interior, which oversees NPS, to restore the exhibit as the lawsuit moves forward.

Trump admin removes memorial honoring people enslaved by George Washington in Philadelphia

In setting the deadline, Rufe cited the federal government's "failure to comply" with her order to restore the exhibit.

The Interior Department appealed Rufe's ruling to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit on Wednesday.

On Wednesday evening, the department also filed an emergency motion for an immediate stay that would block the preliminary injunction granted to Philadelphia pending the federal government's appeal.

"The Court should stay its preliminary injunction pending appeal because the Government is likely to prevail on the merits, will face irreparable injury absent a stay, and the remaining factors also support a stay," the motion states.

Judge orders Trump administration to restore slavery exhibit at President's House Site

Rufe ordered the city of Philadelphia to respond to the Trump administration's motion for an emergency stay by 4 p.m. local time on Thursday.

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ABC News reached out to representatives of the city of Philadelphia, NPS and to the U.S. Interior Dept. for further comment.

Judge orders Trump admin to 'mitigate' further 'damage' to slavery exhibit panels as Philadelphia fights their removal

In granting the preliminary injunction and ordering the government to restore the exhibit,Rufe cited George Orwell's dystopian novel "1984,comparing their actions to those of Big Brother in the book.

"As if the Ministry of Truth in George Orwell's 1984 now existed, with its motto 'Ignorance is Strength,' this Court is now asked to determine whether the federal government has the power it claims -- to dissemble and disassemble historical truths when it has some domain over historical facts. It does not," she wrote.

"An agency, whether the Department of the Interior, NPS, or any other agency, cannot arbitrarily decide what is true, based on its own whims or the whims of the new leadership, regardless of the evidence before it," she added in the ruling.

She also concluded that NPS should have consulted with the city before amending the exhibit.

Philadelphia sues Trump admin over removal of memorial honoring people enslaved by George Washington

Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker called the judge's decision a "huge win for the people of this city and our country."

"We will not allow anyone to erase our history today," Parker said on Tuesday.

The boards and panels that were removed told the stories of Austin, Christopher Sheels, Giles, Hercules, Joe Richardson, Moll, Oney Judge, Paris and Richmond -- the nine enslaved Africans held by Washington as his home in Philadelphia.

They were removed to comply with President Donald Trump'sMarch 27, 2025, executive order, "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History," which directed the Interior Department to remove what they called "divisive, race-centered ideology" and narratives from federal cultural institutions, a department spokesperson told ABC News in a statement last month.

ABC News' Peter Charalambous and Sabina Ghebremedhin contributed to this report.

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February 19, 2026

Trump admin restores Philadelphia slavery exhibit after judge set deadline

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FIFA president: All 104 World Cup matches will be 'sold out'

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.

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"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

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February 19, 2026

FIFA president: All 104 World Cup matches will be 'sold out'

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said all 104 matches of the 2026 World Cup will be "sold out" despite ticket...

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