Football fans around the world, and particularly those backing England, have reacted with fury after FIFA’s 2026 World Cup ticket prices were revealed, exposing what critics describe as an unprecedented financial burden on supporters.
England supporters have been told that the cheapest tickets for their team’s matches will start at hundreds of pounds, with seats for a final in the United States, Canada and Mexico expected to cost thousands.
The controversy comes as fan organisations and supporter groups argue that the pricing undermines the spirit of football’s flagship event.
Members of the England Supporters’ Travel Club (ESTC) have already been informed of their Participating Member Association (PMA) ticket allocation pricing, which shows Group Stage match tickets ranging from approximately £165 upwards.
Prices increase sharply for knockout rounds, with quarter-final seats reportedly above £500 and semi-final tickets nearing £2,370, while the cheapest PMA allocation for the final sits at more than £3,000.
On the upper end of the pricing, fans could be asked to pay up to £6,489 for a final seat. When viewed together, these figures mean that attending every England game from start to finish could cost fans more than £6,000, far higher than comparable tournaments.
Originally, FIFA had suggested entry-level tickets would start at around $60, and host bid documents had even promised prices as low as $21, but supporters say those pledges now feel abandoned.
Fan groups push back against 2026 World Cup ticket prices
Supporter groups have not held back in condemning the pricing policy. Football Supporters Europe (FSE) has urged FIFA to halt ticket sales, calling the strategy a “monumental betrayal” that ignores the contribution of fans to the World Cup atmosphere.
They criticised the introduction of variable pricing and the decision to reserve the lowest-cost seats for general sales instead of supporter allocations, warning that many ordinary fans, particularly families, will be priced out of attending matches.
The Free Lions, the Football Supporters’ Association’s Fans’ Embassy service for travelling England supporters, released a withering statement saying they had raised concerns about ticket costs for months.
They described the released pricing as “devastating” and a “slap in the face” to loyal fans who have followed England through qualifying and previous tournaments, dismissing the so-called “Supporter Value Category 3” pricing as laughable given the total cost to follow the team from the first match to the final.
Supporters have also highlighted that the sharp escalation in ticket costs is taking place alongside significant travel and accommodation expenditure required for a tournament spread across three countries, compounding the financial strain.
FGG Says
This pricing scandal exposes a painful truth: FIFA’s World Cup, once a celebration of global football culture, is increasingly commodified, prioritising revenue over the very supporters who make the tournament unforgettable.
Charging fans thousands to cheer their team, then hiding behind dynamic pricing and opaque “attractiveness” metrics, betrays the inclusive spirit the World Cup claims to represent.
If football’s authorities truly value supporters, they must reverse these punitive costs before it is too late and the noise is replaced by empty seats.