Scotland manager Steve Clarke has appealed to supporters not to put themselves under heavy financial pressure in order to follow the national team to the 2026 World Cup in the United States. He said the cost of travelling to America and buying match tickets is already very high and urged fans to attend only if they can genuinely afford it.
Speaking to BBC Scotland, Clarke made the comments as members of the official supporters’ club were invited to apply for tickets for Scotland’s group games. The team is due to face Haiti and Morocco in Boston before travelling to Miami for a final group match against five-time world champions Brazil on 24 June.
World football body FIFA has come under criticism over ticket prices that could see supporters pay thousands of pounds for seats at some games. Scotland fans are currently expected to receive around 8 per cent of available seats for each group match, although the Scottish FA hopes that allocation will increase as the tournament approaches.
Clarke acknowledged that the trip will be costly for many supporters. He said travelling to the United States is naturally expensive and added that ticket prices set by FIFA further increase the burden on fans.
“If you can get there and you can afford to be there, then fantastic,” he said, before warning supporters not to push themselves into serious debt just to attend the tournament. He stressed that while the World Cup is special, financial wellbeing should come first for families and individuals.
He noted that it is FIFA’s competition and that the world body decides the pricing structure, while the Scottish FA has taken up its full ticket allocation. For the Brazil fixture in Miami, Scotland has been given 3,736 tickets, priced at £198, £373 and £523.
Clarke said he hopes that loyal fans who regularly travel long distances to support the team will be able to secure tickets at prices they can manage. He described these supporters as people who “deserve to be there” due to their long-standing commitment to the national side.
He also joked that a friend has already booked flights to the United States and is asking him for tickets. Clarke said his friend would have to be patient because he currently has no tickets to offer personally and must wait, like everyone else, for the formal ticket process to play out.
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