FIFA on Friday defended its pricing strategy for next year’s World Cup after an England fan group criticised the “astonishing” cost of tickets — which could rise further with demand.
Tickets first became accessible on Wednesday to those selected in a draw held last month, with The Athletic reporting that $60 tickets — which FIFA said would be the cheapest on offer — were extremely scarce.
FIFA has not confirmed starting prices for the tickets beyond the cheapest group stage ticket and the most expensive for the final, but the England Fans’ Embassy estimates that a fan attending every England match if they made it to the final — even buying tickets in the cheapest category — would spend at least £2,364 ($3,180).
FIFA is operating what it describes as variable pricing for the tournament, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, meaning prices could rise — or drop — depending on demand.
Thomas Concannon from the England Fans’ Embassy said: “These prices are astonishing — $2,000 for the cheapest final ticket is unacceptable.
“If fans are successful in obtaining a category four ticket from the first game to the last, that could set them back $3,180 at least. That is more than double what Qatar cost.
“Combined with travel to the Americas and accommodation, this will be the most expensive World Cup for match-going fans we’ve ever seen by some distance.
“A healthy allocation of the lowest category of tickets should be made available to participating nations that are not affected by host city location or dynamic pricing.
“Additionally, participating nation tickets should be located in key areas directly behind the goals to provide the best possible backing to their teams.
“We’d urge the FA to work with other nations around the world to put pressure on FIFA to keep this World Cup financially accessible for match-going fans.”
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The Athletic also reported on Friday that FIFA would charge a 15% commission on tickets bought and sold on its official resale platform. They reported that some tickets were already on sale for tens of thousands of dollars.
A FIFA statement said: “The pricing model adopted generally reflects the existing and developing market practice in our co-hosts for major entertainment and sporting events, soccer 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 US dollars, a very competitive price point for a major global sporting event in the US.
“FIFA can confirm it will retain ringfenced allocations set aside for specific fan categories and that these allocations will be set at a fixed price.
“The FIFA resale platform will provide fans looking to sell or purchase tickets on the secondary market with a safe and secure method to do so, as permitted by US legislation. The fact that secondary market activity is legally open renders it necessary to have a ticketing model that reflects our responsibility to provide access to fans, while at the same time ensuring as much value as possible is retained for redistribution into the game globally.
“As a not-for-profit organisation, the revenue FIFA generates from the World Cup is reinvested to fuel the growth of the game [men, women, youth] throughout FIFA’s 211 member associations globally. FIFA expects to reinvest more than 90% of its budgeted investments for 2023-2026 back in the game to significantly boost global football development. Without FIFA’s financial support more than 50% of FIFA’s member associations could not operate.”
England need two more wins in World Cup qualifying to guarantee their place at the finals next summer.
