The Football Association has said it will pass on England supporters' anger over the cost of tickets for the 2026 World Cup to Fifa, after it emerged that the cheapest seats for group matches will cost ten times the price promised in the tournament's original bid. The FA only learned of the pricing plans on Thursday and is aware of the strong feelings among fans, but it is understood that no national federation expects world football's governing body to change its policy.
According to the bid document submitted for the United States, Canada and Mexico to host the tournament, the cheapest tickets should have been priced at $21 (£15.70). Instead, England fans face paying at least $220 (£165) for group games, while the cheapest tickets for the final will cost $4,185 (£3,120) – more than 30 times the original estimate. The costs do not include travel or accommodation.
The Football Supporters' Association (FSA) described the prices as “scandalous” and “a step too far for many supporters who passionately and loyally follow their national sides”. In a statement, the FSA added: “Everything we feared about the direction in which Fifa wants to take the game was confirmed – Gianni Infantino only sees supporter loyalty as something to be exploited for profit.” On the private Facebook page of the England Supporters Travel Club, which has 11,200 members, many fans said they would attend fewer games or consider a boycott, while one criticised the fact that wheelchair users must pay the same price as able-bodied fans, and their companions also have to pay.
Scotland fans, who have qualified for their first finals since 1998, face similarly high prices. John MacLean of the Scottish Football Supporters Association called on national associations to “hold Fifa to account”, expressing “the widespread disappointment of Scottish fans and indeed fans all around the world at ticket prices that are, in some cases, five times the cost in Qatar”. The German football association (DFB) also admitted it would have preferred more affordable tickets but said it had no control over them, having been informed of the prices only hours before the application period opened.
A spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed that the government would not intervene, stating: “That’s clearly a matter for Fifa to speak to. The prime minister would always hope that any major sporting event was accessible to as many people as possible, but it’s for Fifa to speak to their ticketing policies, not for me.”
