Fifa urged to halt World Cup ticket sales after ‘monumental betrayal’ of fans

Key Highlights

• The Croatian federation listed the cheapest tickets for the final at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on 19 July at $4,185 (£3,120). Trump plan for World Cup tourists to reveal social media activity described as ‘chilling’Read moreThe prices drew a furious reaction from FSE, which said the minimum the most dedicated fans can expect to pay to watch their team from the first match to the final would be $6,900 (£5,137.74) – five times more than it would have cost do so when the World Cup was held in Qatar in 2022.
• That figure could more than double once costs such as flights and accommodation are factored into attending a tournament held in Canada, Mexico and the US. FSE said: “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.
• This is a monumental betrayal of the tradition of the World Cup, ignoring the contribution of supporters to the spectacle it is.“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.”Members of England Supporters Travel Club (ESTC) were also astonished to hear of the prices from the Football Association on Thursday.
• The cheapest ticket for England’s opening match against Croatia in Dallas will cost $265 (£195) and are priced at a minimum of $220 (£165) when Thomas Tuchel’s side face Ghana in Boston and Panama in New Jersey in their other games in Group L. England fans could buy tickets for the final of Euro 2024 for as little as €95.
• om Jenkins/The GuardianESTC members discovered that a semi-final ticket would set them back a minimum of £687, up from £508 to attend the quarter-finals, and £220 and £175, respectively, to go to the last-16 and last-32 ties.