Gordon Brown has called for an inquiry into World Cup ticket prices after accusing Fifa of ripping off fans. The former prime minister said ordinary football fans were being “priced out” of the game due to the “extortionate” prices.
Mr Brown spoke to the Press Association in Glasgow ahead of the Scotland V Brazil match on Wednesday night. Asked if Fifa is ripping off fans, he said: “Yes, I think something’s got to be done about this.
Brown's call for an inquiry
“There’s got to be an inquiry afterwards. You can’t have football at its best if you price ordinary fans out of the game. We’ve got real fans, people have followed the team for years, who just can’t afford to get to these games, and the ticket price for the final, I think it’s about 30 or 40 times what the price was for the Euro final in Germany.
“These are extortionate prices. It’s got to change. They’ve got to have tickets that are available to ordinary families at a reasonable price, and I think what we need is an inquiry afterwards.”
Wider criticism of World Cup costs
Officials in Boston have faced widespread criticism for transport ticket prices during the World Cup, with trains costing fans $80 (£60.40) rather than the usual $20 (£15.10).
Mr Brown said the money Fifa makes should help the teams and players starting out, adding: “Too much money is held by Fifa, not enough is getting to the ordinary game down at the grassroots.”
Scotland's chances against Brazil
The Giffnock-born politician also said he is hopeful for Scotland’s chances against five-time World Cup winners Brazil. “I think we can get through,” he told PA. “I’ve been at the last two World Cup matches when Brazil have played Scotland.
“I was there in Spain in 1982 where we scored the first goal. I was then in Paris in 1998 where we lost, but only narrowly, and I think we can do better this evening.
“If we can score, if we can get a draw, or even if we lose 1-0, I still think we can go through based on what I can see of the permutations – but I want to win. I want us to be a team that can actually show Scotland that we can hold one of the best teams in the world at bay.”
Mr Brown predicted either John McGinn or Scott McTominay would score against Brazil. He said McTominay is already in the “history books” after his overhead against Denmark last year that helped seal World Cup qualification.
Tartan Army's impact in Boston
The former prime minister said he saw first-hand the “fantastic” impact the Tartan Army had during its two games in Boston.
He said: “I was in the queue for the Haiti match and the atmosphere amongst the Scottish fans was amazing, and it made up for the hour or two you had to wait to get in, and for the cost of the drinks, which is $18 (£13.70) I think they were charging, which is ridiculous.
“But the Scots, they drank Boston dry, and at the same time, they cleaned up afterwards, they made themselves great favourites in Boston. Glasgow is going to now be twinned with Boston.
“It’s a huge thing to happen, because Boston’s a great city, Glasgow is a great city, and I think what’s happened is the Americans have taken the Scots fans to heart. I hope we get through to the next round, and wherever it is, I think we’ll get a great welcome from the American people.”
Fifa's response
A Fifa spokesperson said: “At Fifa, we are committed to ensuring fair access to the Fifa World Cup for both existing and prospective fans and have offered group stage tickets starting from just $60 – an extremely competitive price for a once-in-a-lifetime major global sporting event taking place in North America.
“Fifa’s pricing strategy spans a broad range of price points and categories, reflecting market demand for each match. Tickets have been released across sales phases, such as Category 4 at the most accessible price point and 130,000 tickets have been made available priced at $60 across the tournament via participating teams, including over 1,000 for the final.”
The spokesperson continued: “For the Fifa World Cup 2026, Fifa has established a ticket sales and secondary market model that reflects standard ticket market practices for major sporting and entertainment events across the host countries. Fifa’s Resale Marketplace provides a safe, transparent and secure environment for fans to sell or transfer tickets to other fans.
“The applicable resale facilitation fees are aligned with industry standards across North American sports and entertainment sectors.”
