Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has urged FIFA to take further action regarding the high ticket prices for the upcoming World Cup. Fans associated with national team travel clubs discovered last week that the lowest ticket prices for the final would exceed £3,000 (approximately $4,000). Those wishing to follow their team from the opening match to the final would face a minimum expenditure of over £5,000.
In response to growing concerns, FIFA announced that 10% of the participant member association (PMA) allocation for each match will be priced at $60 (or £45), including for the final. This development follows discussions among senior officials in Doha, where federations, including the Football Association (FA), expressed their dissatisfaction with the existing pricing structure.
Despite FIFA’s concession, many supporters remain dissatisfied. One fan group criticized the move as “nothing more than an appeasement tactic.” Starmer highlighted the importance of making tickets accessible to genuine fans, stating on X: “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 has faced severe backlash from fan organizations. The Football Supporters Europe (FSE) labeled the ticket pricing as a “monumental betrayal” and called for a halt to the PMA allocation sale process. This allocation represents 8% of stadium capacity per country, per match. For example, the FA received just over 4,000 tickets for the opening match, meaning around 400 fans could benefit from the new £45 tickets. For the final, approximately 450 of the 4,500 tickets would be available at this lower price.
A FIFA official involved in the discussions commented, “Demand for tickets has been off the scale, with 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 tickets available to more fans, including the most loyal ones who travel, was agreed upon unanimously.”
The official further noted that associations will need to determine the best way to allocate these tickets. They emphasized the unique nature of the tournament and the market in the USA, particularly due to the allowance for resales on secondary platforms. The official added, “No organization 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.”
Nevertheless, the Football Supporters’ Association‘s Fans’ Embassy for England fans has called on FIFA to cease “playing PR games” and to set reasonable prices for all supporters. They expressed skepticism regarding FIFA’s pricing strategy on X, stating, “FIFA have a track record of announcing ‘affordable’ headline prices that, in reality, aren’t available to the vast majority of fans. This seems to be a new version of that with the intention of relieving pressure on FIFA without fixing things for the majority of supporters.”
While FIFA’s latest announcement represents a step toward addressing ticket affordability, many supporters continue to express their frustration over the high costs associated with attending the tournament. The FA has been approached for comment regarding this ongoing issue.
