Football fans have voiced outrage over "scandalous" World Cup ticket prices, prompting the Football Association (FA) to raise concerns with Fifa , though there is little optimism within English football's governing body for a reversal.
The pricing structure for members of national team travel clubs and loyalty schemes, unveiled on Thursday, includes eye-watering figures, with the cheapest ticket for the 19 July final exceeding £3,000.
The Football Supporters' Association ( FSA ) has urged the FA to challenge World Cup organiser Fifa on these costs, which the FSA branded "scandalous" and a "laughable insult" to the average fan.
It is understood that the FA will formally convey fans' discontent to Fifa through appropriate channels. However, sources close to the governing body are not hopeful that this will lead to any changes.
The FA is deeply sympathetic to England supporters, who also face significant travel and accommodation expenses. The association had no input in setting the prices and reportedly only learned of the detailed pricing plan on Thursday.
In contrast, FA bosses Mark Bullingham and Debbie Hewitt have already pledged that affordable tickets will be available for Euro 2028 – which England will co-host with the Republic of Ireland , Scotland , and Wales – and that dynamic pricing, seen in earlier rounds of World Cup ticket sales, will not be implemented.
Gianni Infantino's Fifa revealed the ticket prices for the World Cup on Thursday (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
Despite this, the FA has no influence over World Cup 2026 ticket prices, and there is a prevailing sense of realism that while concerns can be voiced, Fifa is unlikely to alter its course.
Should England reach the final in July, fans wishing to purchase tickets through the FA's allocation would need to spend more than £5,000 on tickets alone to attend all matches, even for the lowest-priced category.
A statement from the FSA, published on Friday morning, declared: "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."
The FSA described the prices proposed to members of the England Supporters Travel Club (ESTC) as "scandalous" and "a step too far for many supporters who passionately and loyally follow their national sides at home and abroad".
The statement further criticised Fifa's approach: "Everything we feared about the direction in which FIFA wants to take the game was confirmed – Gianni Infantino only sees supporter loyalty as something to be exploited for profit.
"This is a tournament that is supposed to be celebrated by the world, where fans of all nations come together for the love of football. Fifa have decided to make it all about the money and the elite who can afford it.
"For Fifa, loyalty is not the hard-working fan travelling thousands of miles in support of their team at qualifiers around the continent. A game that should be for all is now only for those who can afford it."
Football Supporters Europe (FSE) estimates that fans will pay five times more to follow their team from the first game to the final at the 2026 World Cup compared to the last tournament in Qatar in 2022.
Tickets for the final in the participant member association (PMA) allocations begin at 4,185 US dollars (£3,130). Following England from first game to last buying the cheapest tickets would cost 7,020 US dollars (£5,250), before factoring in travel and accommodation.
It could cost fans upwards of £5,000 to follow England all the way to the final when factoring in travel and accommodation (Sam Corum/PA). (PA Wire)
The FSA also highlighted that ESTC members are being asked to pay for tickets through to the final, rather than just for the group games England are guaranteed to play.
"If England are knocked out before the final they'll then return (the money), minus an admin fee of course. They are beyond shameless," the statement added.
Scotland fans, who have qualified for their first finals since 1998, face similarly high prices. The Scottish Football Supporters Association (SFSA) has called on national associations to "hold FIFA to account" over the ticket costs.
John MacLean, CEO of the SFSA, noted that Scottish Football Association president Mike Mulraney – recently appointed chair of FIFA's finance committee – is ideally positioned "to express the widespread disappointment of Scottish fans and indeed fans all around the world at ticket prices that are, in some cases, five times the cost in Qatar ".
Both the FA and Fifa have been contacted for comment.
