Supporters groups file EU complaint accusing FIFA of abusing its monopoly to set excessive unfair 2026 World Cup ticket prices.
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Football fans’ groups have filed a formal complaint against FIFA at the European Commission over what they describe as excessive and unfair ticket prices for the 2026 World Cup. Football Supporters Europe and consumer organisation Euroconsumers accuse FIFA of abusing its monopoly over ticket sales for the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
In a joint statement, they alleged that FIFA has imposed opaque and unfair purchasing conditions on European fans. According to the groups, the cheapest openly available ticket for the World Cup final now starts at 4,185 dollars, more than seven times the cost of the lowest priced ticket for the 2022 final in Qatar.
They noted that UEFA’s Euro 2024 final in Germany offers its cheapest tickets at 95 euros, highlighting the huge gap between European championship and World Cup prices. They also pointed out that FIFA’s original bid documents projected an average ticket price of 1,408 dollars, a figure they say has now been far exceeded.
The complaint says the North American bid had promised tickets starting from 21 dollars, but the lowest priced seats made available so far are 60 dollar group stage tickets, for example for the Group J opener between Austria and Jordan in California. Most tickets for matches involving top teams are said to cost at least 200 dollars.
Fans are particularly angry about FIFA’s use of dynamic or variable pricing, which allows prices to rise or fall based on demand. The groups argue that there is no cap and no transparency on how prices are set, with some tickets reportedly rising by 25 percent between sales phases while buyers wait in online queues without knowing the final cost.
The complaint also targets FIFA’s official resale platform, where resellers can set their own prices. One category three ticket for the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey was advertised for 143,750 dollars, more than 41 times its original face value of 3,450 dollars.
FIFA has defended its approach, with president Gianni Infantino saying prices reflect very high demand and are adjusted through dynamic pricing, especially in the US market. However, critics say FIFA has failed to put limits on how far prices can go and has not given fans clear information about pricing rules.
After sustained criticism, FIFA introduced a cheaper 60 dollar ticket category, but these seats are reserved for fans of qualified teams and will make up only 10 percent of each federation’s allocation. Football Supporters Europe says many of those cheaper tickets were effectively sold out before general public sales began, making access very limited.
In total, FIFA says almost seven million tickets will be available for the expanded 48 team tournament, which will feature 104 matches. Each buyer is limited to four tickets per match and 40 in total across the competition, but fan groups insist that without strong regulatory action, many ordinary supporters will be priced out of attending football’s biggest event.
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