FIFA announces $60 World Cup tickets after pricing backlash

World Cup organisers unveiled a brand new cut-price ticket class on Tuesday (December 16, 2025) after a backlash by followers over pricing for the 2026 match in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

Soccer’s world governing physique FIFA stated in a press release that it had created a restricted variety of “Supporter Entry Tier” mounted at $60 for all 104 matches, together with the ultimate.

It stated the plan was “designed to additional help travelling followers following their nationwide groups throughout the match”.

FIFA stated that the $60 (51 euro) tickets could be reserved for followers of certified groups and would make up 10% of every nationwide federation’s allotment.

Fan group Soccer Supporters Europe (FSE), which final week known as costs “extortionate” and “astronomical”, responded by saying the FIFA was providing too little.

“Whereas we welcome FIFA’s seeming recognition of the harm its unique plans have been to trigger, the revisions don’t go far sufficient,” FSE stated in a press release on Tuesday.

Final week, FSE stated ticket costs have been nearly 5 instances increased than in 2022 in Qatar, describing FIFA’s pricing for 2026 as a “monumental betrayal of the custom of the World Cup”.

“If a supporter have been to observe their staff from the primary match to the ultimate it could price them a minimal of $6,900,” it stated on the time, including that World Cup organisers had promised tickets priced from $21 in a bid doc launched in 2018.

‘Appeasement tactic’

On Tuesday, FSE stated FIFA’s partial ticketing U-turn uncovered flaws in how costs for subsequent yr’s match had been set.

“For the second we’re wanting on the FIFA announcement as nothing greater than an appeasement tactic because of the world detrimental backlash,” FSE stated.

“This reveals that FIFA’s ticketing coverage is just not set in stone, was determined in a rush, and with out correct session — together with with FIFA’s personal member associations.

“Based mostly on the allocations publicly accessible, this may imply that at finest a number of hundred followers per match and staff could be fortunate sufficient to make the most of the U.S. $60 costs, whereas the overwhelming majority would nonetheless must pay extortionate costs, approach increased than at any match earlier than.”

The organisation additionally criticised the failure to make provisions for supporters with disabilities or their companions.

Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer echoed FSE, stating that FIFA’s cheaper ticket class didn’t go far sufficient.

“I welcome FIFA’s announcement of some decrease priced supporters tickets,” Mr. Starmer wrote on X.

“However as somebody who used to avoid wasting up for England tickets, I encourage FIFA to do extra to make tickets extra reasonably priced in order that the World Cup would not lose contact with the real supporters who make the sport so particular.”

Saying the $60 tickets on Tuesday, FIFA stated that nationwide federations “are requested to make sure that these tickets are particularly allotted to loyal followers who’re carefully related to their nationwide groups”.

FIFA additionally stated that if followers purchased tickets for video games within the knockout rounds solely to seek out their staff eradicated at an earlier stage, they “can have the executive price waived when refunds are processed.”

It added that it was making the announcement “amid extraordinary world demand for tickets” with 20 million requests already submitted.

The draw for tickets of all costs within the first spherical of gross sales will happen on Tuesday, January 13.