Entertainment
FIFA Prez Defends High World Cup Ticket Prices
FIFA president Gianni Infantino on Tuesday defended World Cup ticket prices, insisting that football’s global governing body was obliged to take advantage of US laws that allow tickets to be resold for thousands of dollars above face value.
FIFA has faced searing criticism over the cost of World Cup tickets, with fan organization Football Supporters Europe (FSE) branding the pricing structure “extortionate” and a “monumental betrayal”.
FSE filed a lawsuit with the European Commission in March targeting FIFA over “excessive ticket prices” for the tournament.
FIFA’s own World Cup resale website, FIFA Marketplace, last week advertised four tickets to the July 19 final in New York at a cost of more than $2 million each.
Speaking at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, Infantino said the eye-watering prices reflected demand to watch the World Cup.
“If some people put on the resale market, some tickets for the final at $2 million, number one it doesn’t mean that the tickets cost $2 million,” Infantino said.
“And number two it doesn’t mean that somebody will buy these tickets,” Infantino said. “And if somebody buys a ticket for the final for $2 million I will personally bring him a hot dog and a Coke to make sure that he has a great experience.”
Fan groups have contrasted the difference in price of tickets for this summer with the Qatar World Cup in 2022.
The most expensive ticket for the final in 2022 was around $1,600 at face value, while in 2026 the most expensive ticket for the final is about $11,000 at its original price.
Infantino was adamant that the steep increase in face-value prices were justified.
“We have to look at the market — we are in the market in which entertainment is the most developed in the world. So we have to apply market rates,” Infantino said.
“In the US it is permitted to resell tickets as well. So if you were to sell tickets at the price which is too low, these tickets will be resold at a much higher price.
“And as a matter of fact, even though some people are saying that the ticket prices we have are high, they still end up on the resale market at an even higher price, more than double of our price.”
Infantino said that FIFA received in excess of 500 million ticket requests for 2026, compared with fewer than 50 million combined for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
The FIFA leader added that 25 percent of tickets for the group phase were priced at under $300.
“You cannot go to watch in the US a college game, not even speaking about a top professional game of a certain level, for less than $300,” Infantino said. “And this is the World Cup.”
Entertainment
Singer Niniola Laments Husband’s Death
Singer Niniola Apata has opened up about her late husband, Michael Ndika, and the central role he played in her music career and personal life.
Speaking in a video at a gathering held in his honour, Niniola recounted how their relationship shaped her growth as an artist and as a person.
Ndika, CEO of African music platform NaijaReview, died on May 19, 2026 at 44.
She said he was her strongest supporter from day one even when she considered stepping away from music, he pushed her to continue.
According to her, Ndika believed in her talent and vowed to make her a star.
Niniola described their bond as inseparable, stressing how he was part of her daily routine and her main source of emotional support. Since his death, she said, her life has changed completely.
She thanked his family for embracing her and admitted that coping with the loss has been hard.
Reflecting on their marriage, she called it a love story.
She said Ndika gave her everything and lived for her and while she was the face and voice of her brand, he was the engine behind it.
She said: “My story with Michael is a love story. Michael did everything for me. Everything was for me, he was breathing for me. He loved me, I loved him so much. And I learned so much from Michael. But Michael met me raw, and he said, I’ll make you a superstar.’ And he did. I was just the face and the voice, but Michael was the engine.
“Even when I decided to, you know, give music a break, he didn’t let it. The first person I saw in the morning was Michael. And the last person who closed my eyes at night was Michael. So now what do I do? Tell me, what do I do? Michael was the best thing, the best person that ever happened to me.”
Entertainment
Lagos Traffic Radio To Launch 24hrs Service, Marks 14th Anniversary
Air dominating Lagos radio station, Traffic radio, will begin a 24 hour service soon, even as the broadcast station marks it’s 14th anniversary.
The station was commissioned on May 29, 2012.
The milestone was celebrated on-air and across the station’s official digital platforms, with listeners and city officials engaging with the hashtag #LTRAt14.
The station’s astronomical progress in recent years has been attributed to the ingenuity of it’s General Manager, Mr Tayo Akanle, whom many have described as a thorough professional and a leader with listening ears.

Improving on it’s past records, the station now provides updates across multiple transit modes, including roads, train schedules, ferry movements, and flight times, ensuring seamless mobility across Lagos.
Attracting more commendation from listeners is the station’s ongoing modernization, particularly the integration of Live Camera Updates (LCU), which enables On-Air Personalities (OAPs) to share CCTV footage of major highways during gridlock.
Reviews and official perception surveys underscore the station’s high approval rating, with over 54% of Lagos road users tuning in daily during their morning and evening commutes.
As the station celebrates it’s 14th anniversary, sources close to it have revealed that there are underground activities, geared towards the station commencing a 24 hour service.
According to one of the sources, the management is keeping the plan close to it’s chest and will only mention it when everything needed to be done to ensure the delivery are concluded.
” I can confirm that the station is planning a 24 hour service, but the logistics are still being worked out. As things stand, the plan may materials before or by the end of this year” a source privy to the station’s activities disclosed to The Column News.
Entertainment
Kate Henshaw Explains Fallout With Genevieve Nnaji
Seasoned actress Kate Henshaw has opened up about her fallout with colleague Genevieve Nnaji.
Appearing on the Tea with Tay podcast, Henshaw reflected on the end of their friendship, saying it faded quickly.
Henshaw who could not identify the exact cause of the breakdown, stated they may have grown apart or that some level of mistrust existed, but she remains unsure of what happened.
“We grew apart. Maybe she had some kind of mistrust about me… I don’t know what happened. I don’t know what came over her but I’ve moved on,” Henshaw said.
The actress did not give further details on when the fallout occurred.
Both actresses are icons of Nollywood and have featured in several notable films since the late 1990s.
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