The Football Association (FA) has been called upon by a leading supporters' group, the Football Supporters' Association (FSA), to lobby FIFA for a reduction in the price of World Cup tickets. The FSA has labeled the pricing structure for next year's tournament, set to take place in the United States, Canada and Mexico as "scandalous".
The FSA and Football Supporters Europe (FSE) are demanding that FIFA halt its sales process so that fans' groups can engage in discussions with the world governing body over its ticket pricing policy. This call comes after an alarming increase in ticket prices was revealed when FIFA released allocation details for official supporters' groups of each country.
Football Supporters Europe (FSE) released statement:
"We back Football Supporters Europe in calling for a halt in ticket sales and we are calling on the Football Association to work with fellow FAs to directly challenge these disgraceful prices,"
"We call on all national associations to stand up for your supporters, without whom there would be no professional game."
BBC Sport reached out to FIFA, FA and Scottish FA regarding this issue but they have yet to comment.
Staggering increase in ticket prices
At the 2022 World Cup held in Qatar, group stage fixtures had set prices at £68.50, £164.50 or £219 per ticket. However, upcoming matches such as England v Croatia and Scotland v Brazil next year will see tickets priced around £198, £373 or £523 respectively - a significant increase from previous years.
Moreover, these costs escalate dramatically during later stages of the tournament with quarter-finals tickets ranging from £507 to an eye-watering £1,073. Semi-final tickets are even more expensive at between £686 and a staggering high of 2£363.
The final match's cheapest tickets are priced at an astronomical figure of £3,119 which is seven times more expensive than those sold during Qatar's World Cup event last year. It should be noted that there are no concessions across any ticket categories for children or other groups.
'Laughable Insult' to fans
According to the FSA, the cheapest tickets fall under the 'supporter value' category, which they have described as "a laughable insult to your average fan". The association further added that supporters feel betrayed and that loyal fans are likely to miss out on attending matches in the US, Mexico and Canada due to these unaffordable prices.
To illustrate this point further, a supporter would need approximately £5,225 to follow their team through to the final if they were to attend all eight matches in the cheapest ticket category. This figure rises dramatically for mid-price range tickets at about £8,850 or an astounding £12,357 for top-tier tickets. In comparison with 2022's World Cup event where it would have cost between £1,466 and £3,914 for seven games rather than eight - it is clear that there has been a significant increase in ticket pricing.
The call by FSA and FSE for FIFA's intervention on its pricing policy reflects growing concerns among football fans worldwide. As we await responses from FIFA and FA regarding this issue - one thing is clear: affordability should be a key consideration when setting ticket prices so as not to alienate loyal fans who contribute significantly towards making these events successful.
