A fan group is urging FIFA to halt ticket sales for the 2026 World Cup over ‘excessive’ prices

Football Supporters Europe (FSE) has called on FIFA to immediately halt the sale of national team allocations for next year’s World Cup. She accuses the football governing body of imposing ‘excessive’ ticket prices that risk excluding ordinary fans from the tournament.

In a statement on Thursday, Europe’s umbrella fan group said prices for tickets allocated to participating member associations (PMA) – typically distributed through official supporters’ clubs or loyalty programs – had reached «astronomical» levels.

FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

FSE said that, based on price tables quietly circulated to national associations, a supporter following his team via the PMA route from the first group match through to the final would pay at least $6,900, almost five times the equivalent cost at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

MONUMENTAL BETRAYAL

FSE said national team supporters were asked to pay the full amount in early 2026 to guarantee the right to buy tickets until the final.

Adding to fans’ frustration, FSE said the lowest price category – Category 4 – would not be made available to the most loyal supporters through their associations, with FIFA reserving those tickets for sale to the general public and subjecting them to dynamic pricing.

The group called that decision a “monumental betrayal” of World Cup tradition and the contribution of traveling supporters to the atmosphere of the tournament.

“We are a bit dismayed by the prices imposed by FIFA,” said FSE director Ronan Evain. Reuters.

«This is a handful of people trying to make as much money as possible from the tournament. And we believe this approach compromises the very nature of the tournament.»

«For the final, tickets cost around $4,000. You need the fans, you need the life in the stands, you need the colour, you need the atmosphere. With these prices none of this will happen,» he said.

The Football Supporters Association, a representative body for fans in England and Wales, said it had asked the English Football Association to lobby FIFA.

“Prices for the England matches are set among the highest, with a prize of $7,020 if you want to follow the team from start to final,” a statement said.

“We support Football Supporters Europe in their call for a halt to ticket sales and we call on the FA to work with fellow FAs to directly challenge these outrageous prices.”

NO CONSISTENT PRICES

For the first time at a World Cup, FSE said, there will be no consistent prizes for all group stage matches, with FIFA instead introducing variable prizes based on opaque concepts such as the ‘attractiveness’ of a match.

That means fans of different teams can pay different amounts for the same category of tickets at the same stage, with little transparency over how prices are set.

Evain said the new structure will push many casual fans beyond what they can afford, especially families.

“Many people who were hesitant to travel to the U.S. are now saying they have to take an extraordinary financial risk, especially if you are a family,” he said.

«We are in the region of $30,000 for a family of four. The vast majority of football fans cannot afford this. Even in Europe.»

FSE urged FIFA to pause PMA ticket sales and consult with member associations, supporter groups and other stakeholders “until a solution is found that respects the tradition, universality and cultural significance of the World Cup.”

Published on December 12, 2025