Fifa charges thousands for World Cup final tickets as England fans rage at 'most expensive cost in history'

Ed Griffiths
Thu, 02 Apr 2026 20:54:11 +0000

Fifa is facing mounting criticism after World Cup final tickets reached £8,333 during the latest sales window, marking a 38 per cent surge from the £6,581 advertised during December's members' sale.

The premium seats for the showpiece match at MetLife Stadium on July 19 are believed to represent the highest general admission price in football history.

Category two tickets have climbed 32 per cent to £5,596, whilst category three seats now cost £4,386 following a similar 38 per cent rise.

These figures dwarf the £1,173 maximum price that organisers committed to when the United States, Canada and Mexico submitted their original tournament bid to Fifa.

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The Football Supporters' Association has branded Fifa's approach "ridiculous" and declared this tournament the costliest ever for fans travelling to watch matches.

A spokesman for the organisation said on Thursday: "This is the most expensive World Cup in history for travelling supporters, from match tickets to travel and accommodation.

"It isn't just an issue for English fans but for those across the planet.

"Fifa's ridiculous ticket pricing and opaque policies have led many fans to conclude they simply can't afford to attend football's greatest global event."

The governing body's variable-pricing model, which adjusts costs based on demand, has sparked widespread anger among supporters worldwide.

Wednesday's final sales window was marred by significant technical failures that stranded supporters in queues that led nowhere for over an hour.

Fans who logged on early, hoping to secure tickets, found themselves mistakenly directed to a restricted portal reserved for official national team supporter groups, which required special access codes unavailable to ordinary purchasers.

Those without the necessary codes were forced to rejoin the main queue, far behind their original positions.

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Reports suggest Fifa took approximately 10 minutes to rectify the error and redirect users to the correct purchasing link.

The chaos represented the last opportunity for fans to buy directly from Fifa before the resale market launched on Thursday.

Football Supporters Europe, alongside consumer group Euroconsumers, has submitted a formal complaint to the European Commission challenging Fifa's ticketing practices.

The complaint targets what the organisations describe as "aggressive and exploitative ticketing policies" employed by world football's governing body.

Central to the dispute is Fifa's dynamic pricing system, which allows ticket costs to fluctuate based on demand levels throughout the sales process.

The governing body will also operate its own resale marketplace where tickets can be sold at marked-up prices.

Fifa will take a 30 per cent cut from each transaction.