A failure to commit to buying all these tickets in the coming weeks would leave ESTC members at the mercy of Fifa’s much-criticised dynamic pricing model and secondary platforms, which have already resulted in supporters being charged many times more than face value.
FSE said in a statement: “Football Supporters Europe is astonished by the extortionate ticket prices imposed by Fifa on the most dedicated supporters for next year’s Fifa World Cup.
“In the price tables gradually and confidentially released by Fifa, tickets allocated to national associations (PMA – participating member association allocation), which typically distribute them via official supporters’ groups or loyalty programmes to their most devoted fans, are reaching astronomical levels. Based on the information currently available to FSE, if a supporter were to follow their team from the first match to the final through a PMA allocation, it would cost them a minimum of $6,900 – nearly five times as much as during the Fifa WC 2022 in Qatar.
“National team supporters are expected to pay this full amount in early 2026 to have the opportunity to follow their team up to the final.
“Adding insult to injury, the lowest price category will not be available to the most dedicated supporters through their national associations, as Fifa chose to reserve the scarce number of category four tickets for the general sales, subject to dynamic ticket pricing. This is a monumental betrayal of the tradition of the World Cup, ignoring the contribution of supporters to the spectacle it is.
“For the first time in World Cup history, no consistent price will be offered across all group stage games. Instead, Fifa is introducing a variable pricing policy dependent on vague criteria such as the perceived attractiveness of the fixture. Fans of different national teams will therefore have to pay different prices for the same category at the same stage of the tournament, without any transparency on the pricing structure enforced by Fifa.
“The bid document released in 2018 promised tickets priced as low as $21. Where are these tickets now? The full way to the final, according to the same bid book, was supposed to cost $2,242 in the cheapest category. This promise is long gone.
“We call on Fifa to immediately halt PMA ticket sales, engage in a consultation with all impacted parties, and review ticket prices and category distribution until a solution that respects the tradition, universality and cultural significance of the World Cup is found.”
Fifa has been approached for comment.
The governing body has repeatedly defended its World Cup ticketing policy, arguing it would help keep money within football that would otherwise be taken out by touts who have plagued previous tournaments.
It said in a statement in October: “The pricing model adopted generally reflects the existing and developing market practice in our co-hosts for major entertainment and sporting events on a daily basis, football included.
“We are focused on ensuring fair access to our game for existing but also prospective fans, and are offering group-stage tickets starting at $60, a very competitive price point for a major global sporting event in the US.”
