Fifa faces backlash over World Cup ticket prices
Football fan organisations have demanded that Fifa immediately suspend World Cup ticket sales following revelations that the cheapest seats for next summer’s final will cost supporters more than £3,000, reports BritPanorama.
Football Supporters Europe (FSE), representing fan groups across the continent, issued a furious response after pricing details emerged. The organisation described Fifa’s approach as “extortionate” in a statement, calling it “a monumental betrayal of the tradition of the World Cup, ignoring the contribution of supporters to the spectacle it is.”
FSE is urging football’s governing body to halt sales through national associations and begin consultations with affected parties. Tickets for the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey are now available across three price bands, starting at £3,119 for the lowest tier. The middle tier rises to £4,162, while premium seats reach £6,615. In comparison, the cheapest final ticket at Qatar 2022 cost £450, making current prices up to seven times higher.
In calculating the total costs for dedicated supporters following their national team from the opening match through to the final, FSE determined that fans could pay a minimum of $6,900 (£5,143), nearly five times the cost of doing so in the previous World Cup. Group stage tickets for England’s opener against Croatia in Dallas start at £197, with escalating prices for knockout rounds.
For the first time in World Cup history, group stage matches will feature variable pricing based on what Fifa describes as “vague criteria such as the perceived attractiveness of the fixture.” This lack of transparency means supporters pay varying amounts for identical seat categories at the same tournament stage. FSE has expressed discontent over Fifa’s broken commitments from its 2018 bid document, which promised tickets starting at just $21 (£15.68).
The organisation condemned the pricing structure, labelling the cheapest available tickets as “Supporter Value Category 3” while charging over $7,000 (£5,226) for a complete tournament package. “Loyalty has been thrown out of the window and supporters of the participating nations have been completely let down,” remarked Free Lions, a group supporting travelling England fans.
Fifa maintains that its pricing model reflects existing market practices for major events in the host nations and aims to prevent ticket touting that has affected previous tournaments. The situation raises pressing questions about the accessibility of football’s most prestigious event and the balance between commercialisation and fan engagement.
