FIFA has officially announced price reduction of some 2026 World Cup tickets following an intense global backlash from supporters, with $60 tickets now guaranteed for every match, including the final, for teams’ most loyal fans.
The announcement, made on Tuesday, comes after fans accused football’s world governing body of a “monumental betrayal” when ticket prices circulated last week showed supporters being asked to pay as much as $4,185, and up to $8,680, for the final.
Under the revised plan, FIFA confirmed that $60 tickets will be made available for every game at the tournament, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, 2026.
These tickets will be allocated through national football federations, who will decide how to distribute them to loyal supporters who regularly attend matches both home and away.
How the Ticket Allocation Works
FIFA allocates 8% of tickets for matches involving a national team to that country’s football association. On Tuesday, FIFA revealed that 10% of this allocation will now be priced at $60, creating what it calls a “Supporter Entry Tier.”
For the World Cup final, this means approximately 450 of the 4,500 tickets available through national associations will be sold at the discounted price.
However, FIFA acknowledged that the number of $60 tickets per match is likely to be in the hundreds rather than thousands.
Backlash Triggered by Eye-Watering Prices
The backlash erupted after ticket pricing lists published by several national federations, notably the German Football Association, revealed starkly different figures.
According to the German FA’s published list:
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Group-stage tickets ranged from $180 to $700
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The lowest-priced final ticket was $4,185
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The highest-priced final ticket was $8,680
These figures appeared to contradict FIFA’s earlier claims that $60 tickets would be widely available, fueling anger across fan groups worldwide.
Fan Groups: ‘A Monumental Betrayal and Slap in the Face”
European fan organization Football Supporters Europe (FSE) described the prices as “extortionate.”
Based on available data, FSE said fans would need to pay €6,900 ($8,111) to attend every match from the opening game to the final through the Participant Member Association (PMA) allocation.
This system was designed for fans who attend the most matches at fixed prices rather than dynamic pricing.
According to FSE, that figure is five times higher than what supporters paid at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
“This is a monumental betrayal of the tradition of the World Cup, ignoring the contribution of supporters to the spectacle it is,” FSE said in a statement.
The group also criticized FIFA’s pricing model, noting that instead of a standard group-stage price, tickets appeared to be priced:
“Dependent on vague criteria such as the perceived attractiveness of the fixture.”
The English Football Association (FA) shared pricing details with the England Supporters Travel Club (ESTC) on Thursday evening. The figures showed that following England from the group stage all the way to the final would cost $7,020 (£5,228).
That prompted fierce criticism from supporter groups.
The Football Supporters’ Association’s England Fans’ Embassy labelled the pricing policy “laughable.”
In a post on X, the group said:
“These prices are a slap in the face to supporters who support their team outside of the flagship tournament that appears every four years.
“To call the Category 3 tickets, the cheapest available to ESTC members, ‘Supporter Value Category 3’ that comes at a cost of $7,020 if you want to follow England from start to finish, is laughable.”
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