FIFA introduces limited $60 tickets for all 2026 World Cup matches after criticism, but fan groups say the move is insufficient and prices remain too high.
FIFA has announced a new low-cost ticket category for the 2026 World Cup following significant backlash over high prices.
The global football body said a limited number of “Supporter Entry Tier” tickets will be fixed at $60 for all 104 matches, including the final.
It stated the plan is designed to help travelling fans follow their national teams across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
These $60 tickets will be reserved for fans of qualified teams and will constitute 10% of each national federation’s ticket allotment.
Fan group Football Supporters Europe responded by saying FIFA’s concession does not go far enough.
“While we welcome FIFA’s seeming recognition of the damage its original plans were to cause, the revisions do not go far enough,” FSE said.
Last week, FSE had labelled initial prices “extortionate” and “astronomical”, claiming they were almost five times higher than for the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
The group estimated that following a team from the first match to the final would cost a minimum of $6,900.
It also noted organisers had previously promised tickets starting from $21 in a 2018 bid document.
FSE described FIFA’s partial reversal as an “appeasement tactic” due to global negative backlash.
“This shows that FIFA’s ticketing policy is not set in stone, was decided in a rush, and without proper consultation,” the group stated.
It argued only a few hundred fans per match would benefit from the $60 price, while the majority still face historically high costs.
The organisation further criticised the lack of provisions for supporters with disabilities or their companions.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer echoed the call for more affordable access for genuine fans.
“I welcome FIFA’s announcement of some lower priced supporters tickets,” Starmer wrote on social media.
“But as someone who used to save up for England tickets, I encourage FIFA to do more to make tickets more affordable.”
FIFA said national federations must ensure the $60 tickets go to loyal fans closely connected to their teams.
It also announced it would waive administrative fees for refunds if a fan’s team is eliminated before a knockout match they purchased tickets for.
The announcement comes amid what FIFA calls “extraordinary global demand”, with 20 million ticket requests already submitted.
The draw for tickets in the first sales phase is scheduled for Tuesday, January 13.
