FIFA Faces Backlash as USA 2026 World Cup Ticket Prices Surge

FIFA is facing mounting criticism after newly published 2026 World Cup ticket price bands showed a dramatic jump from recent tournaments, with the cheapest seats for the final priced above £3,000. Supporter groups say the costs risk turning football’s biggest event into something far less accessible for ordinary fans.  The 2026 World Cup will be hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico, running from June 11 to July 19, 2026 in 16 cities. FIFA has pointed to heavy interest in the latest sales phase, saying it received around five million ticket requests in 24 hours, but fan organisations argue demand should not be used to justify price inflation on this scale.

What the numbers look like for UK supporters

Price tables circulated via participant member association allocations show how quickly costs rise as a team progresses. For England supporters buying through the England Supporters Travel Club allocation, group-stage match tickets sit in the low hundreds of pounds, but later rounds climb sharply, with the final listed at roughly £3,129 to £6,489 depending on category. Scotland’s published PMA bands start lower for at least one group match, but the upper-end knockout pricing is similar, with the final again listed in the £3,000-plus range. 

General sale brackets are also steep

FIFA’s published price ranges for the broader sales windows show a similarly wide spread. In the latest lottery phase, group-stage tickets range from $140 to $2,735, while knockout rounds run from hundreds into the thousands, with the final listed at $4,185 to $8,680. For context, Sky Sports noted Euro 2024 final tickets were available from £83, which has intensified the sense of sticker shock around the World Cup pricing.

Why prices are climbing

Football Supporters Europe (FSE) says pricing appears to vary based on perceived fixture “attractiveness,” rather than a consistent approach across group matches, and it has criticised FIFA’s move toward variable pricing in some phases. FIFA has indicated some sales windows will use variable pricing, though it has said the main ballot will not change prices mid-window FSE and Reuters have also described the overall jump as roughly five-fold compared with the 2022 World Cup, adding to concerns that loyal travelling supporters are being squeezed hardest.

The real cost for supporters

For travelling fans, tickets are only one part of the bill. Flights, hotels, internal travel, and time off work can quickly multiply the cost of following a team through multiple rounds. That reality also brings a predictable side effect: a surge of opportunistic marketing. Expect more ads promising fast cash for football fans as the tournament approaches, and supporters should be wary of high-cost credit pitches and ticket-related scams targeting emotional, last-minute decisions.

Pressure on the FA and FIFA’s response

The Football Supporters’ Association (FSA) has urged the Football Association to challenge FIFA over pricing, calling the figures presented to England’s supporter allocation “scandalous.” FSE has gone further, demanding FIFA pause PMA ticket sales and open consultations with stakeholders until prices and ticket category distribution are reviewed. FIFA has not offered detailed comment on the backlash in the reports, but it has repeatedly argued it is a non-profit organisation and that revenue is reinvested in football development. 

Another flashpoint is the official resale system. FIFA’s own support pages set out a 15% fee for purchasers and a 15% fee for resellers on its resale and exchange marketplace, meaning a combined 30% in fees across a resale transaction. What happens next will depend on whether national associations and supporter groups can convert public anger into meaningful pressure, before the ticket market fully hardens around premium pricing.