Six months before the start of the 2026 World Cup, football fans are shocked by the huge ticket prices, with a place at the final reaching more than $4,000. Many supporters fear that they will be excluded due to the high costs.
Such prices have sparked an outcry among fans around the world, with many of soccer’s most loyal fans virtually excluded from the tournament, CNN notes.
The wave of criticism came after FIFA distributed the tickets to the national associations of participating teams on Thursday under the so-called Participating Member Associations (PMAs) allocation. This system allows federations to sell tickets to the most loyal supporters, who qualify through fan groups or loyalty schemes.
Many of these passionate supporters, who have followed their team for years, are now faced with a dilemma: pay huge sums or watch the games at home and protect their savings.
Football Supporters Europe (FSE), a group representing fans’ interests, said it was “amazed by the exorbitant prices imposed by FIFA on the most dedicated supporters”. The organization asked FIFA to stop the sale of tickets “until a solution is found that respects the tradition, universality and cultural significance of the World Cup.”
According to the FSE statement and information available to the organization, a loyal supporter would have to pay at least $6,900 to watch their team from the first group match to the final. The FSE says the amount is “almost five times higher” than at the previous final tournament, in Qatar.
Fans, outraged by the huge costs
It’s not just ticket prices that worry supporters, but also transport and accommodation costs. The biggest fear is that those who have devoted years to following their national teams will not be present at the tournament, giving way to those who can afford to pay any amount. That could affect the atmosphere at games in Mexico, the US and Canada next year.
The English Football Association communicated the pricing structure to its loyal supporters groups on Thursday: the cheapest ticket for England’s opening match against Croatia costs $265. If England reach the final, the cheapest ticket would cost $4,185 and the most expensive would reach $8,680.
To complicate matters further, supporters are expected to pay for tickets in early 2026.
The Football Supporters’ Association (FSA) – which represents fans in England and Wales – said the prices are “too much for many fans”. “Everything we feared about the direction FIFA wants to take football has been confirmed – (FIFA president) Gianni Infantino only sees fan loyalty as something that can be exploited for profit”the FSA added.
What FIFA says
FIFA has already launched two phases of ticket sales, but both took place before the draw and fixture schedule earlier this month. This means it’s the first time fans can request tickets for matches they know for sure involve their team.
World football’s governing body has repeatedly touted the idea that this will be an affordable World Cup for fans, announcing that there will be four ticket categories, with the cheapest offering $60 tickets for group matches. However, these cheaper tickets were not made available to the national associations, meaning that the most loyal fans would have to pay more to see their team in action.
Those who do not qualify for the PMA allocation can now apply for individual match tickets via the Random Selection Draw system, also launched on Thursday. For the first time in World Cup history, however, there will be no single price for group stage matches – each match will be priced based on demand. This means that fans in different countries will pay different prices for matches in the same stage of the competition.
“This is a monumental betrayal of World Cup tradition, ignoring the contribution of supporters to the spectacle that defines it”FSE also said.
