Football Supporters Europe (FSE), the European fan umbrella group, has called on FIFA to immediately suspend the sale of national team ticket allocations for the upcoming World Cup, accusing the governing body of setting "extortionate" ticket prices that will price ordinary fans out of the tournament. FIFA has not yet responded to the accusation.
FSE claims that prices for tickets allocated to Participating Member Associations (PMAs)—which are typically distributed to loyal supporters—have reached "astronomical" levels.
A supporter following their team from the first group match to the final via the PMA route would pay at least $6,900, which FSE says is nearly five times the equivalent cost at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Tickets for the final are reportedly priced up to about $4,000. FSE Executive Director Ronan Evain said the new structure means a family of four would be looking at costs "in the region of $30,000," a sum the "vast majority of football fans can't afford."
FSE labeled FIFA's decision to withhold the lowest-priced Category 4 tickets from loyal supporters (PMA allocation) and reserve them for general public sales subject to dynamic pricing as a "monumental betrayal" of World Cup tradition.
For the first time, FSE noted that there will be no consistent prices across all group-stage games. FIFA is implementing variable pricing based on the "attractiveness" of a fixture, meaning fans of different teams could pay different amounts for the same category of ticket with little transparency.
FSE urged FIFA to pause PMA ticket sales immediately and open consultations with member associations, supporters' groups, and other stakeholders to find a solution that "respects the tradition, universality and cultural significance of the World Cup."
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