FIFA World Cup ticket value change sparks Keir Starmer warning over ‘shedding contact’
FIFA have now guaranteed a range of tickets at a fixed cost of £45 for every game at next summer’s tournament in the US – but Keir Starmer has told the governing body to go further
Keir Starmer has weighed into the row over FIFA’s pricing of World Cup tickets.
The football association last night released a new set of cut-price World Cup tickets in the wake of the backlash over pricing.
England fans had been left facing prices starting at £200 for the Group opener with Croatia and over £4,000 for a World Cup final seat. In a change of position, FIFA have now guaranteed a range of tickets at a fixed cost of £45 for every game at next summer’s tournament in the US.
But only around 10% of the tickets they give to each nation will be at this cheaper price. It means only hundreds of tickets – not thousands – will be available per match for each country.
The Prime Minister – a well-known football fan – welcomed FIFA’s decision to bring in some lower priced tickets but warned the governing body that the action did not go far enough.
READ MORE: FIFA release cut-price tickets at just £45 per match for EVERY World Cup game
In a post on X, Mr Starmer said: “I welcome FIFA’s announcement of some lower priced supporters tickets. But as someone who used to save up for England tickets, I encourage FIFA to do more to make tickets more affordable so that the World Cup doesn’t lose touch with the genuine supporters who make the game so special.”
FIFA changed its position after holding discussions with key stakeholders – including the relevant FAs. It represents a huge increase on the last World Cup with fans insisting they could not afford to go to the US.
In a letter to all Participating Member Associations, FIFA said: “With demand in the current sales phase achieving 20 million ticket requests, FIFA has confirmed that fans of the national teams that have qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026™ will benefit from a dedicated ticket pricing tier, which has been designed to make following their teams on football’s greatest stage more affordable.
“The newly introduced Supporter Entry Tier will be available at the fixed price of USD 60 per ticket for each of the 104 matches, including the final.
“The entry tier tickets will be allocated specifically to supporters of qualified teams, with the selection and distribution process managed individually by the Participating Member Associations (PMAs).
“Each PMA will define its own eligibility criteria and application process. They are requested to ensure that these tickets are specifically allocated to loyal fans who are closely connected to their national teams.
“In total, 50% of each PMA allocation will fall within the most affordable range, namely Supporter Value Tier (40%) and the Supporter Entry Tier (10%). The remaining allocation is split evenly between the Supporter Standard Tier and the Supporter Premier Tier.
“In addition, fans applying through the PMA allocation whose teams do not advance to the knockout phase will have the administrative fee waived when refunds are processed for unsuccessful applications.”
