Football fans accuse FIFA of ‘huge betrayal’ after latest price tag world cup Tickets go into circulation Thursday.
Governing bodies allocate 8% of ticket sales to national associations to sell matches played by their teams to their most loyal fans.
A list published by the German Football Association shows prices for different group matches ranging from $180 to $700. The lowest price in the final was $4,185 and the highest price was $8,680.
Those group-stage prices are a far cry from the $60 tickets FIFA claimed seven years ago when U.S. soccer officials aimed for hundreds of thousands of $21 seats during the tournament’s opening bid.
Fans group Football Supporters Europe (FSE) said the current price was “too high”.
“This is a huge betrayal of World Cup tradition and disregards the contribution of fans to the World Cup event,” it said in a statement.
The English Football Association shared pricing information with the England Supporters Travel Club (ESTC) on Thursday night, which showed fans buying a ticket for each game leading up to the final would cost just over $7,000.
FIFA september says Tickets posted through its website initially ranged from $60 for the group stages to $6,730 for the finals. But those prices are likely to change as it uses dynamic pricing for the first time at the World Cup.
FIFA tickets are divided into four categories, with the best seats being Category 1.
There are only three categories in the price list published by the German Football Association.
Tickets for Germany’s first group game against Curacao in Houston start at $180. The lowest price in the semifinals was $920, rising to $1,125.
The FSE called on FIFA to immediately stop ticket sales through national associations “until a solution is found that respects the tradition, universality and cultural significance of the World Cup”.
The Associated Press contacted FIFA for comment.
latest stage
FIFA launched the third phase of widespread ticket sales on Thursday, with fans now able to apply for specific matches through a “random draw” for the first time.
Following last week 2026 Championship DrawThe conference will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, and the latest schedule has been announced.
This means fans know when and where the likes of Messi and Argentina are playing. Previous ticket draws have been blind because the qualifying period has not yet ended and the draw has not yet taken place.
The participating countries have now been grouped into groups and their path to the competition has been determined. For example, Messi and cristiano ronaldo If Argentina and Portugal both finish top of their respective groups, they could meet in the quarterfinals in Kansas City.
That’s not to say fans are guaranteed to get the game tickets they requested.
The draw starts on 11 December at 11am (1600 GMT) and ends on 13 January 2026.
FIFA said ticket applications can be made at any time during this window and entry time will not affect the chances of success. Fans can apply for a maximum of four tickets per household per match and a maximum of 40 tickets for the entire tournament through the FIFA website.
Fans will need a FIFA ID to apply for tickets and can select the game and pricing category they want to apply for.
Successful applicants will be notified by email in February and charged automatically.
price
The last time the United States hosted the World Cup was in 1994, and tickets range from $25 to $475. In 2022, when Qatar releases ticket details, tickets will cost approximately US$70 to US$1,600.
Tickets for the July 19 final at MetLife Stadium have sold for more than $11,000 on secondary resale sites.
FIFA has also set up its own resale platform for this tournament, charging a 15% fee based on the total resale price.
FIFA said all remaining tickets will be put on public sale on a first-come, first-served basis closer to the game.
It did not disclose a timetable for releasing remaining tickets.
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Associated Press sports writer Graham Dunbar in Geneva contributed to this report.