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12/11 14:23 CST FIFA accused of 'monumental betrayal' over latest World Cup
ticket prices
FIFA accused of 'monumental betrayal' over latest World Cup ticket prices
By JAMES ROBSON
AP Soccer Writer
Soccer fans have accused FIFA of a "monumental betrayal" after latest prices
for World Cup tickets began to circulate on Thursday.
The governing body allocates 8% of tickets to national associations for games
involving their team to sell to the most loyal fans.
And a list published by the German soccer federation revealed prices ranged
from $180-$700 for varying group stage games. The lowest price for the final
was $4,185 and the highest was $8,680.
Those group-stage prices are very different from FIFA's claims of $60 tickets
being available, while the target from United States soccer officials when
bidding for the tournament seven years ago was to offer hundreds of thousands
of $21 seats across the opening phase of games.
Fan organization Football Supporters Europe (FSE) described the current prices
as "extortionate."
"This is a monumental betrayal of the tradition of the World Cup, ignoring the
contribution of supporters to the spectacle it is," it said in a statement.
The English Football Association shared pricing information with the England
Supporters Travel Club (ESTC) on Thursday evening, which showed that if a fan
bought a ticket for every game through to the final it would cost just over
$7,000.
FIFA said in September that tickets released through its website would
initially range from $60 for group-stage matches to $6,730 for the final. But
those prices are subject to change as it adopts dynamic pricing for the first
time at the World Cup.
FIFA tickets are available in four categories, with the best seats in Category
1.
In the price list published by the German federation, there were only three
categories.
The lowest priced ticket was $180 for Germany's opening group game against
Curacao in Houston. The lowest price for the semifinal was $920 rising to
$1,125.
The FSE called on FIFA to immediately halt ticket sales via national
associations "until a solution that respects the tradition, universality, and
cultural significance of the World Cup is found."
The Associated Press approached FIFA for comment.
Latest phase FIFA launched its third phase of widespread ticket sales Thursday, with fans now able to apply for specific matches for the first time through its "Random Selection Draw." Following last week's draw for the 2026 tournament, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, an updated schedule has been published. That means fans know when and where the likes of Lionel Messi and Argentina will play. Previous ticket ballots were blind as the qualification period had not even been completed and the draw was yet to take place. Now participating nations have been placed in groups, with their paths through the tournament determined. For instance, Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo could go on to meet in the quarterfinals in Kansas City if both Argentina and Portugal top their respective groups. Not that fans are guaranteed to get tickets to the games they apply for. The draw opened Dec. 11 at 11 a.m. ET (1600 GMT) and closes Jan. 13, 2026. FIFA says ticket applications can be made at any point during this window and the timing of entry will not impact the chances of success. Fans can apply via FIFA's website for a maximum of four tickets per household per match and a maximum of 40 tickets throughout the tournament. Fans will need a FIFA ID to apply for tickets and can pick which matches and which pricing category they want to apply for. Successful applicants will be notified by email in February and charged automatically.
Prices The last time the U.S. hosted the World Cup in 1994 prices ranged from $25 to $475. In Qatar in 2022 prices ranged from around $70 to $1,600 when ticket details were announced. Tickets for the final at MetLife Stadium on July 19 are already going for in excess of $11,000 on secondary resale sites. For this tournament FIFA has also set up its own resale platform where it charges a 15% fee based on the total resale price. FIFA said that closer to the tournament any remaining tickets will go on general sale on a first-come, first-served basis. It did not reveal a time frame for the release of those remaining tickets. ___ AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer ___ James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson ___ AP Sports Writer Graham Dunbar in Geneva contributed to this report.
Latest phase FIFA launched its third phase of widespread ticket sales Thursday, with fans now able to apply for specific matches for the first time through its "Random Selection Draw." Following last week's draw for the 2026 tournament, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, an updated schedule has been published. That means fans know when and where the likes of Lionel Messi and Argentina will play. Previous ticket ballots were blind as the qualification period had not even been completed and the draw was yet to take place. Now participating nations have been placed in groups, with their paths through the tournament determined. For instance, Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo could go on to meet in the quarterfinals in Kansas City if both Argentina and Portugal top their respective groups. Not that fans are guaranteed to get tickets to the games they apply for. The draw opened Dec. 11 at 11 a.m. ET (1600 GMT) and closes Jan. 13, 2026. FIFA says ticket applications can be made at any point during this window and the timing of entry will not impact the chances of success. Fans can apply via FIFA's website for a maximum of four tickets per household per match and a maximum of 40 tickets throughout the tournament. Fans will need a FIFA ID to apply for tickets and can pick which matches and which pricing category they want to apply for. Successful applicants will be notified by email in February and charged automatically.
Prices The last time the U.S. hosted the World Cup in 1994 prices ranged from $25 to $475. In Qatar in 2022 prices ranged from around $70 to $1,600 when ticket details were announced. Tickets for the final at MetLife Stadium on July 19 are already going for in excess of $11,000 on secondary resale sites. For this tournament FIFA has also set up its own resale platform where it charges a 15% fee based on the total resale price. FIFA said that closer to the tournament any remaining tickets will go on general sale on a first-come, first-served basis. It did not reveal a time frame for the release of those remaining tickets. ___ AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer ___ James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson ___ AP Sports Writer Graham Dunbar in Geneva contributed to this report.
