FIFA makes World Cup tickets concession after backlash over prices

FIFA has introduced cheaper World Cup tickets for national teams’ most loyal fans after an outcry over pricing erupted last week.

Fans who are part of national team travel clubs and loyalty schemes discovered last week the cheapest available tickets for the final would be priced at over £3,000, while England fans wishing to follow the team from the first match to the final would have to spend over £5,000 as a minimum.

However, FIFA has now announced that 10 per cent of the participant member association (PMA) allocation for each match will be priced at 60 US dollars (£45) – including for the final.

The decision follows meetings between senior officials in Doha this week, where federations – including the Football Association – are understood to have shared concerns about the pricing model.

However, the concession appears to have done little to quell the anger among supporters, with one fan group branding it “nothing more than an appeasement tactic”.

FIFA faced criticism from fan groups last week, with Football Supporters Europe (FSE) accusing them of a “monumental betrayal” of fans and urging the sport’s world governing body to halt the PMA allocation sale process.

The PMA allocation equates to eight per cent of stadium capacity per country per match.

The FA had been allocated just over 4,000 tickets for the opening match against Croatia, meaning around 400 fans could benefit from the new £45 tickets, with a further 40 per cent able to access the next cheapest tickets, which are considerably more at £198.

For the final, around 450 of the 4,500 tickets would be available for £45.

A FIFA official close to the discussions said: “Demand for tickets has been off the scale, more than 20 million requests so far in this latest phase. We have listened to feedback and this new category is the right thing to do.

“Making 60-dollar tickets available to more fans, including the most loyal ones who travel, was agreed on unanimously.

“Associations will need to work out who best should receive them. It’s a unique tournament and a unique market in the USA, in particular, which allows resales on secondary platforms. The demand is sky high.

“No organisation does more to support the development of the game around the world than FIFA. All 211 associations, including the poorest countries, will benefit from a commercially successful World Cup.”

The Football Supporters’ Association’s Fans’ Embassy for England fans described the move as “a step in the right direction” in a post on X, adding: “Fan pressure has certainly amounted to something but this still feels low, and the majority of tickets are still far too high. This will only benefit 400 to 500 supporters (per match), approximately.”

FSE welcomed FIFA’s move but said “the revisions do not go far enough” and pointed to the absence of a pricing structure for disabled fans or complementary companion tickets.

A statement added: “For the moment we are looking at the FIFA announcement as nothing more than an appeasement tactic due to the global negative backlash.

“We call upon FIFA to engage in a proper dialogue to arrive at a solution that respects the contribution of fans and the dignity of fans with disabilities.”

The FA has been approached for comment.