Fifa has been accused of a 'monumental betrayal' by fan representatives after it emerged that the cheapest tickets for next summer's World Cup final will cost more than £3,000. Football Supporters Europe (FSE) described the prices as 'extortionate' and called for an immediate halt to ticket sales, following a day when England fans discovered that tickets to follow their team through the tournament could cost up to $16,590 (£12,375) in the top categories.
The prices were revealed after the Croatian football federation published its participant member association (PMA) allocation, which is designed for fans attending the most matches and uses fixed prices rather than dynamic pricing. The Croatian federation listed the cheapest tickets for the final at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on 19 July at $4,185 (£3,120). FSE said the minimum for dedicated fans to watch their team from the first match to the final would be $6,900 (£5,137.74) – five times more than in Qatar 2022 – and could more than double with flights and accommodation.
FSE stated: 'Football Supporters Europe is astonished by the extortionate ticket prices imposed by Fifa on the most dedicated supporters for next year's Fifa World Cup. This is a monumental betrayal of the tradition of the World Cup, ignoring the contribution of supporters to the spectacle it is.' They called on Fifa to halt PMA sales and review prices. England Supporters Travel Club members were also shocked, with cheapest tickets for England's opening match against Croatia in Dallas at $265 (£195).
Fans discovered that a semi-final ticket would cost a minimum of £687, up from £508 for quarter-finals, while following England from the first match of Euro 2024 to the final in the 'fans first' category would have cost €375 (£328). Free Lions, an England supporters group, said on X: 'This can't be allowed to happen. Match-goers across the world deserve protection from these rip-off prices.'
Thursday saw the opening of a random lottery for tickets by Fifa, with all fans able to order tickets at fixed prices until 13 January. Earlier windows used dynamic pricing. PMA allocations equate to 8% of stadium capacity per match, with pricing based on 'vague criteria' such as fixture attractiveness, according to FSE.
