Fifa reduces England’s ticket allocation for World Cup knockout matches
Fifa has cut England’s ticket allocation to as few as 3,000 per match for the upcoming World Cup knockout games, reports BritPanorama.
This number represents just over four per cent of the stadium’s capacity, prompting vocal demands for more from the supporters of the Three Lions. Hundreds of thousands of fans are expected to converge on the United States, Canada, and Mexico next summer.
If England finishes at the top of their group, they will travel from New York to Atlanta, where the Supporters Travel Club has been allotted 3,000 seats, which is 4.5 per cent of the 67,382-capacity venue.
Should they progress beyond the round of 32, the allocation for the last-16 match in Mexico City on July 5 would similarly remain at 3,000, equating to 4.1 per cent of the available 72,766 seats. The quarter-final in Miami, which could set the stage for a clash against Brazil, would see a minor increase to 3,500 out of 64,091 seats. They would receive the same for a potential semi-final back in Atlanta four days later. If they reach the final in New Jersey, England fans would receive an allocation of 3,900 of the stadium’s 78,576 seats.
Allocations for alternative stadiums, should England progress without topping their group, are expected to remain consistent with these figures. During the group stage, however, Fifa has committed to providing a considerably higher allocation of eight per cent of the stadium capacity for England fans. The reduction has attracted significant frustration among British supporters who are facing not only expensive ticket prices but also soaring costs for flights and accommodation.
In response to this backlash, Fifa has announced plans for “more affordable” World Cup tickets for all matches. The entry-level tickets will now start at £45 as part of the newly introduced “Supporter Entry Tier,” designed to ease the financial burden on fans during the tournament.
With demand reaching 20 million ticket requests during the current sales phase, Fifa stated that this tier, priced at USD 60 per ticket for each of the 104 matches, including the final, aims to make it more accessible for supporters of the national teams.
It remains to be seen how the national federations will manage the distribution of these tickets to dedicated fans, many of whom have a history of attending matches both at home and abroad. Experts have suggested that the cheapest tickets for the final could exceed £3,000, prompting an outcry from Football Supporters Europe (FSE), which condemned Fifa’s approach as “extortionate” and a “monumental betrayal” of the World Cup tradition.
As anticipation builds and the fans brace for what promises to be an exhilarating tournament, the practicalities of ticket access could overshadow the on-pitch spectacle, highlighting the increasingly fraught intersection of football’s commercial realities and its passionate following.
