The Football Supporters’ Association has branded FIFA ‘beyond shameless’ and said it wants ticket sales halted until prices are slashed
Thousands of England fans will miss the World Cup due to ‘scandalous’ ticket prices meaning matches will cost up to £35-a-minute, according to the Football Supporters’ Association.
The body said tournament organiser FIFA and its president Gianni Infantino were ‘beyond shameless’ in exploiting supporter loyalty for profit. It called on the FA – and associations representing each nation taking part in the summer showpiece – to confront the sport’s world governing body and demand a halt of ticket sales until prices are cut.
The association said: “The prices set for the 2026 World Cup are scandalous, a step too far for many supporters who passionately and loyally follow their national sides at home and abroad.
“Everything we feared about the direction in which FIFA wants to take the game was confirmed. Gianni Infantino only sees supporter loyalty as something to be exploited for profit.
“Prices for England’s matches have been set as some of the highest, priced at $7020 (£5252) if you want to follow the team from start through to the final. If you are ‘lucky’ enough to reserve the cheapest ticket for the final you’ll need to hand over $4185, approximately £3200 – that’s £35-per-minute of the game.
“FIFA call this the ‘Supporter Value’ category – that’s a laughable insult to your average fan. Supporters are expected to hand over all of this money in February to FIFA, who will keep it in their bank account to accrue interest.
“If England are knocked out before the final they’ll then return it, minus an admin fee of course. They are beyond shameless.
“This is a tournament that is supposed to be celebrated by the world, where fans of all nations come together for the love of football. FIFA have decided to make it all about the money and the elite who can afford it.”
The group added: “For FIFA, loyalty is not the hard-working fan travelling thousands of miles in support of their team at qualifiers around the continent. A game that should be for all is now only for those who can afford it.
“We call on all national associations to stand up for your supporters without whom there would be no professional game. The most loyal fans feel they have been stabbed in the back.
“Those same fans, their passion, their colours, their noise will be missing in America, Mexico and Canada, unless significant price reductions are introduced. Supporters who have looked forward to this tournament for years, supporters who have been to multiple World Cups, supporters who were excited about this being their first tournament will all be missing as it will be unaffordable.
“The life has been sucked out of this tournament before it starts.”
The row blew up after FIFA revealed a vast increase in ticket prices for next year’s finals jointly hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico.
At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar group stage fixtures cost £68.50, £164.50 or £219. But for England v Croatia and Scotland v Brazil next year tickets will cost £198, £373 or £523.
Quarter-finals for all teams are £507, £757 and £1,073 with the semi-finals £686, £1,819 and £2,363. The cheapest tickets for the final are £3,119 – seven times more expensive than in Qatar. There are no concessions for children or old folks.
It will cost £5,225 for a supporter to follow their team through to the final if they were to attend all eight matches in the cheapest ticket category. That rises to £8,850 in the mid-price range or £12,357 for the top tier.
In 2022 it would have cost £1,466, £2,645 or £3,914 – though that was for seven games rather than the new expanded tournament’s eight.
FIFA, the FA and Scottish FA have not yet commented.
But FIFA has said previously: “The pricing model adopted for FIFA World Cup 26 reflects the existing market practice for major entertainment and sporting events within our hosts on a daily basis, soccer included.”