England and Argentina supporters face paying at least $2,700 (£2,000) for a ticket for their World Cup semi-final, with FIFA accused of exploiting fans. The Three Lions aim to end the reigning champions' hopes of defending their crown on Wednesday and book a place in their first World Cup final since 1966.
Extortionate Ticket Prices
Fans are facing eye-watering prices to see Harry Kane battle Lionel Messi. England supporters' ticket account England_Tic on X shared a screenshot showing a 'supporter value' tier seat listed at $287,500 (£214,927) on FIFA's official resale website. The tickets are split into categories, with category one being closest to the pitch and category four the most affordable in the upper tier. However, even category four resold tickets range from $3,105 (£2,321) to $40,250 (£30,000).
The account posted: "And here we are.... the big games. Once in a lifetime. Bucket list stuff. The games where FIFA can exploit 'the beautiful game' and it's passionate fanbases. On FIFA's market place $60 'supporters value tier' tickets are being listed from $3,737.50. The 15% fee charged by FIFA to both buyer and seller would come to $1,121 on the cheapest ticket. FIFA don't want supporters to attend they want them to sell their tickets. #greed."
England's Path to the Semi-Final
England secured their semi-final spot after Jude Bellingham's double helped Thomas Tuchel's side come from behind to beat Norway. The Real Madrid midfielder equalised in the second half, cancelling out Andreas Schjelderup's first-half opener.
Defending champions Argentina advanced by beating Switzerland after extra time. Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister opened the scoring, but Switzerland equalised through Nottingham Forest's Dan Ndoye. The tie turned when Breel Embolo was sent off for a second bookable offence, becoming the first player dismissed under the new mistaken identity rule after a VAR review. Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez scored in extra time to secure Argentina's place.
Security Concerns
Police are on red alert at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Atlanta due to limited segregation. Officers are aware of the historical context between England and Argentina, including the Falklands War and Diego Maradona's Hand of God goal 40 years ago.
