Football fan organisations have demanded that Fifa immediately suspend World Cup ticket sales following revelations that the cheapest seats for next summer’s final will cost supporters more than £3,000.
Football Supporters Europe, representing fan groups across the continent, issued a furious response after pricing details emerged on Thursday.
The organisation described Fifa’s approach as “extortionate” in a statement.
“This is a monumental betrayal of the tradition of the World Cup, ignoring the contribution of supporters to the spectacle it is,” FSE declared.
Tickets for the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey start at £3,119
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The group called on football’s governing body to halt sales through national associations and begin consultations with affected parties.
Tickets for the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey are available across three price bands, starting at £3,119 for the lowest tier.
The middle tier rises to £4,162, while premium seats reach £6,615.
These figures represent a dramatic increase from Qatar 2022, where the cheapest final ticket cost £450 – making current prices up to seven times higher.
Tickets for England’s opener against Croatia in Dallas start at £197
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FSE calculated that dedicated supporters following their national team from the opening match through to the final would pay a minimum of $6,900 (£5,143).
This represents nearly five times the cost of doing so at the previous World Cup.
England Supporters Travel Club members learned that group stage tickets for the Croatia opener in Dallas start at £197, with matches against Ghana and Panama priced from £164.
Knockout rounds escalate sharply with last-16 tickets beginning at £175, quarter-finals at £506, and semi-finals at £685.
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Fifa argued in October that the pricing model reflects existing market practice for major entertainment events
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FSE highlighted that for the first time in World Cup history, group stage matches will not carry consistent pricing.
Instead, Fifa has introduced variable costs based on what the organisation described as “vague criteria such as the perceived attractiveness of the fixture”.
This means supporters of different nations pay varying amounts for identical seat categories at the same tournament stage, with no transparency regarding how prices are determined.
The fan body also pointed to broken commitments from Fifa’s 2018 bid document, which promised tickets starting at just $21 (£15.68).
The ticket pricing has been described as ‘a slap in the face’ to fans
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That same document indicated the cheapest route from first match to final would cost $2,242 (£1,673).
“Where are these tickets now? This promise is long gone,” FSE fumed.
The organisation urged Fifa to review pricing structures until a solution respecting the tournament’s “tradition, universality and cultural significance” is reached.
Free Lions, the group supporting travelling England fans on behalf of the Football Supporters’ Association, condemned the pricing structure.
“These prices are a slap in the face to supporters who support their team outside of the flagship tournament that appears every four years,” the organisation stated.
They described labelling the cheapest available tickets as “Supporter Value Category 3” while charging over $7,000 (£5,226) for a complete tournament package as “laughable.”
“Loyalty has been thrown out of the window and supporters of the participating nations have been completely let down,” Free Lions added.
Fifa argued in October that the pricing model reflects existing market practice for major entertainment events in the host nations.
The governing body maintained it was offering competitive prices while preventing ticket touting that has affected previous tournaments.
GB News has approached Fifa for comment.
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