Fans Accuse FIFA Of Betraying The 2026 World Cup Ticket Prices

Ticket prices for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico strangled fans (doc. FIFA).

JAKARTA - Fans accuse FIFA of committing major betrayal after the latest ticket price for the 2026 World Cup began to circulate on Thursday, December 11, 2025.

FIFA allocated 8 percent of tickets to member federations for matches involving their teams for sale to the most loyal fans.

A list published by the German Football Federation (DFB) revealed prices ranged from 180 to 700 US dollars (approximately Rp2.9-11.6 million) for various group stage matches. The lowest price for the final was 4,185 US dollars (approximately Rp69.6 million) and the highest was 8,680 US dollars (approximately Rp144.4 million).

The price of the group's preliminary round is very different from FIFA's claims about tickets worth 60 US dollars (around Rp998,000) available.

In fact, the target of the United States Football Federation (US Soccer) official when bidding for the host of the 2026 World Cup seven years ago was to offer hundreds of thousands of seats for 21 US dollars (around Rp. 349 thousand) throughout the opening phase of the match.

The fan organization Football Supporters Europe (FSE) describes the current price as very expensive.

Based on available information, the FSE stated that fans must pay US$8,111 (around Rp134.9 million) to attend every match from first to final matches through the federation allocation of participant members (PMA) - designed to be awarded to fans who attended the most matches, with ticket prices fixed and not dynamical prices.

According to the FSE, the price is five times more expensive than fans have to pay to watch the match in the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar.

"This is a major betrayal of the World Cup tradition, ignoring the contribution of supporters to existing spectacles," the FSE said in a statement.

The FSE shows that instead of applying standard prices in all group matches, price fixing appears to depend on unclear criteria such as the appeal of the match being felt.

The English Football Association (FA) shared price information with the England Supporters Travel Club (ESTC) on Thursday, December 11, 2025, evening local time. The information shows that if a fan buys tickets for each game until the final, the cost will reach 7,020 (around Rp116.8 million).

The pricing policy is considered ridiculous by England Fans' Embassy (British Supporter Representative) from the Football Supporter Association (FSA).

"These prices are a slap to the supporters who support their team outside of the main tournament which is held once every four years."

"Calling the cheapest Category 3 tickets available to ESTC members, the 'Sportor Value 3' category, which costs 7,020 US dollars if you want to follow the UK from start to finish, is ridiculous," England Fans wrote. Embassy in an upload on X.

England's supporters' group Free Lions said on X that it supports the FSE's statement, adding that this was a shocking price, well above the alleged high cost.

"This should not be allowed to happen. Viewers of matches around the world are entitled to protection from this strangling price," Free Lions said in a statement quoted by ESPN.

FIFA said in September 2025 that tickets released via its website initially ranged from US$60 (around Rp998 thousand) for the group stage match to US$6,730 (approximately Rp112 million) for the final.

However, this price could change because FIFA implemented a dynamic pricing for the first time at the World Cup.

FIFA tickets are available in four categories, with the best seats in Category 1.

In the price list published by DFB (Federation of German Football), there are only three categories.

Tickets at the lowest price were 180 US dollars for the group's opening match between Germany and Curacao in Houston. The lowest price for the semifinals was 920 US dollars (around Rp. 15.3 million), up to 1,125 US dollars (approximately Rp. 18.7 million).

The FSE asked FIFA to immediately stop ticket sales through national federations until solutions that respect World Cup traditions, universality and cultural significance are found.

FIFA launched the third phase of wide ticket sales on Thursday, December 11, 2025, with fans now signing up for a particular match for the 2026 World Cup for the first time through a random selection draw.

Following last week's draw for the 2026 World Cup, an updated schedule has been published.

The ticket draw was previously carried out blindly because the qualifying period has not been completed and the draw has not been carried out.

Participants have now been placed in the group, with their path through the tournament being determined. For example, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo can meet in the quarter-finals in Kansas City if Argentina and Portugal lead their respective groups.

That doesn't mean fans are guaranteed tickets for the matches they sign up for.

The draw was opened on December 11, 2025 at 11 am local time and closed on January 13, 2026.

The last time the United States hosted the World Cup in 1994, ticket prices ranged from 25 to 475 US dollars (approximately IDR 416 thousand-IDR 7.9 million). In Qatar in 2022, ticket prices ranged from around 70 to 1,600 US dollars (approximately IDR 1.1 million-IDR 26.6 million) when details were announced.