Coach Gianni Infantino was forced to resign. Following widespread fan outcry, FIFA has announced significant price reductions for tickets to the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada. However, this adjustment is only useful to a limited number of supporters.
When FIFA first announced the tournament’s fee structure, fans reacted furiously. Initial prices ranged from $82 for group stage matches to $6,730 for the finals.
As always, seats are divided into categories, with category 4 being the cheapest and category 1 being the most expensive.
FIFA also offers hospitality packages that include private suites and food and beverage services. These packages range from $5,300 to $8,275, but even that amount wasn’t enough to quell the backlash, forcing FIFA to rethink its approach.
FIFA cuts ticket prices – but only for some fans
After several meetings with its member associations, FIFA has agreed to introduce a new price range for supporters of teams that qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
“The newly introduced supporter entry slot will be available at a fixed price of $60 per ticket for each of the 104 matches, including the final,” a FIFA spokesperson said in a statement.
However, this measure has severe limitations. Each national federation will receive up to 10% of the tickets for their team’s matches, which will be distributed to registered supporters.
For example, England will receive 4,000 tickets for their opening game against Croatia in Dallas. Only 400 of these will be sold at the new price of $60, and the remaining 600 will be sold at the highest price point.
FIFA faces unprecedented demand for 2026 World Cup tickets
“The demand for tickets is extraordinary, with over 20 million requests so far at this latest stage,” said a FIFA official involved in the discussions, according to comments reported by the Daily Mail.
They also recognize the unique challenges of this World Cup, including the fact that the United States allows ticket resale on secondary platforms, something that is not allowed in many other host countries.
Regarding discounted tickets, officials warned that “the association needs to consider who is the best recipient of tickets,” but the process could pose another hurdle for true soccer fans.
