Fans revolt over FIFA's insane World Cup ticket prices

Football fans are revolting over the extortionate ticket prices for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and demanding an immediate halt to sale.

There has been furious backlash around the world after it was announced the cheapest ticket to watch the final at MetLife Stadium in New York will set fans back a minimum of $6,250.

The eye-watering cost is almost seven times more than the same ticket in Qatar for the 2022 tournament.

According to the BBC, the 2026 World Cup has also decided ticket prices based on an assumed popularity of teams meaning some fans will pay more than others to watch their nation.

In Qatar there were set prices for each stage of the tournament irrespective of who was playing. Fan organisation Football Supporters Europe (FSE) said the move from FIFA was “a monumental betrayal” for the most loyal fans.

"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.

“Football Supporters Europe is astonished by the extortionate ticket prices imposed by FIFA on the most dedicated supporters for next year’s FIFA World Cup.

“Adding insult to injury, the lowest price category will not be available to the most.

“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.

“The bid document released in 2018 promised tickets priced as low as $21. Where are these tickets now? The full way to the final, according to the same bid book, was supposed to cost $2,242 in the cheapest category. This promise is long gone.

“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.”

The English Football Association shared ticketing information with their supporter travel club, revealing that if they wanted to attend every match from the group stage to the final (assuming they got that far) it would cost a minimum of $10,500 not including any travel costs or accommodation.

The same road to the final in Qatar would have cost just under $3,000.