England fans have been warned they could expect to pay more than £5,000 on match tickets alone if they want to follow their country at next summer’s World Cup and watch Thomas Tuchel’s team try and battle their way to the final.
The Independent understands some national associations have reacted in horror after they were informed that PMA (Participating Member Associations) tickets are up to five times more expensive than the last World Cup in Qatar, while Football Supporters Europe (FSE), the main European fan group, has accused Fifa of “betrayal” and called for an “immediate halt” to ticket sales.
Some national associations are said to be “furious”, and England’s FA is set to notify the England Supporters Travel Club that eligible members – those who have accrued enough loyalty points to meet their criteria – could expect to pay at least £198 for a “value tier” seat at their opening game of the tournament against Croatia in Dallas.
The Croatian football federation has published details of the PMA tickets for the tournament, with a “standard tier” seat at the England game £372 and the “premium tier” seat at £520. The prices then increase throughout the tournament and the cheapest PMA ticket for the World Cup final on July 19 is listed at £3,120 each.
This does not account for travel to the United States and the cost of hotels, with prices skyrocketing since the confirmation of the World Cup match schedule following last Friday’s tournament draw.
Tickets for PMAs are set at a fixed rate and not subject to “variable pricing” – while all fans can enter a random selection draw, opening on Thursday 11 December, with Fifa still yet to confirm prices for those tickets.
Tickets that hit the market on general sale will be subject to dynamic pricing, making attending in-demand games and following the most popular teams more expensive, while Fifa will also operate its own resale market that allows sellers to charge many times above face value for games in the United States and Canada, but not Mexico, and also take 30 per cent of the sell-on price.
“This is a monumental betrayal of the tradition of the World Cup, ignoring the contribution of supporters to the spectacle it is,” FSE said in a statement.
“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.
“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.”
A Fifa statement on ticket prices previously said: “The pricing model adopted for Fifa World Cup 26 reflects the existing market practice for major entertainment and sporting events within our hosts on a daily basis, soccer included.
“This is also a reflection of the treatment of the secondary market for tickets, which has a distinct legal treatment than in many other parts of the world. We are focused on ensuring fair access to our game for existing but also prospective fans.
“Stadium category maps do not reflect the number of tickets available in a given category but rather present default seating locations. Fifa resale fees are aligned with North American industry trends across various sports and entertainment sectors.”
The FA and Fifa have been approached for comment
