Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has urged FIFA to take further action regarding exorbitant ticket prices for the upcoming World Cup. Fans affiliated with national team travel clubs recently learned that tickets for the final match would start at over £3,000 (approximately $4,000). Those wishing to follow their team from the first match to the final could face a minimum cost exceeding £5,000.
In response to growing frustration, FIFA announced that 10% of the participant member association (PMA) allocation for each match will feature tickets priced at $60 (around £45), including for the final. This concession comes after meetings involving senior officials in Doha, where concerns regarding the pricing model were shared among various federations, including the Football Association.
Despite this adjustment, the anger among supporters persists. One fan group denounced the move as “nothing more than an appeasement tactic.” Starmer acknowledged FIFA’s announcement through a post on X, stating, “I welcome FIFA’s announcement of some lower-priced supporters tickets. But as someone who used to save up for England tickets, I encourage FIFA to do more to make tickets more affordable so that the World Cup doesn’t lose touch with the genuine supporters who make the game so special.”
FIFA has faced significant backlash from fan groups, particularly from Football Supporters Europe (FSE), which accused the organization of a “monumental betrayal” of fans. They called for a halt to the PMA allocation sale process, which comprises 8% of stadium capacity per country, per match. The FA has been allocated just over 4,000 tickets for the opening match, meaning roughly 400 fans could benefit from the newly announced £45 tickets. An additional 40% would have access to the next tier of tickets, which are significantly more expensive at £198.
For the final, around 450 of the 4,500 tickets available will be priced at £45. A FIFA official involved in the discussions stated, “Demand for tickets has been off the scale, with more than 20 million requests so far in this latest phase. We have listened to feedback and this new category is the right thing to do. Making $60 tickets available to more fans, including the most loyal ones who travel, was agreed on unanimously.”
The official added that associations would need to determine the best recipients for these tickets, noting the unique market conditions in the USA, where resale on secondary platforms is permitted. “No organisation does more to support the development of the game around the world than FIFA. All 211 associations, including the poorest countries, will benefit from a commercially successful World Cup,” the official concluded.
In a separate statement, the Football Supporters’ Association‘s Fans’ Embassy for England fans criticized FIFA for “playing PR games” and called for reasonable pricing for all supporters. They expressed skepticism about FIFA’s commitment to affordability, stating, “FIFA has a track record of announcing ‘affordable’ headline prices that, in reality, aren’t available to the vast majority of fans. This seems to be a new version of that with the intention of relieving pressure on FIFA without fixing things for the majority of supporters.”
As the World Cup approaches, the ongoing debate over ticket pricing highlights the tension between football governing bodies and loyal supporters who seek access to the game they love without prohibitive costs. The FA has been approached for further comment on this matter.
