FIFA makes World Cup tickets climbdown after backlash over prices

FIFA has introduced cheaper World Cup tickets for national teams’ most loyal fans after an outcry over pricing erupted last week.

Fans who are part of national team travel clubs and loyalty schemes discovered last week that the cheapest available tickets for the final would be priced at over £3,000, while England fans wishing to follow the team from the first match to the final would have to spend over £5,000 as a minimum.

However, FIFA has now announced that 10 per cent of the participant member association (PMA) allocation for each match will be priced at 60 dollars – including for the final.

The decision follows meetings between senior officials in Doha this week, where federations – including the Football Association – are understood to have shared concerns about the pricing model.

FIFA faced criticism from fan groups last week, with Football Supporters Europe (FSE) accusing them of a “monumental betrayal” of fans and urging the sport’s world governing body to halt the PMA allocation sale process.

The PMA allocation equates to eight per cent of stadium capacity per country per match.

The FA had been allocated just over 4,000 tickets for the opening match against Croatia, meaning around 400 fans could benefit from the new 60-dollar tickets, with a further 40 per cent able to access the next cheapest tickets, which are considerably more at £198.

For the final, around 450 of the 4,500 tickets would be available for 60 dollars.

A FIFA official close to the discussions said: “Demand for tickets has been off the scale, more than 20 million requests so far in this latest phase. We have listened to feedback and this new category is the right thing to do.

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