Angry fans revolt because they can’t afford to follow Thomas Tuchel’s men to the US as FIFA’s greed costs them dearly in the US
England fans are calculating the true cost of the World Cup after accusing FIFA of excluding it from the price tag of hosting next summer’s World Cup. One enthusiast has budgeted for a trip for two next summer, spending an eye-watering £50,000 on tickets, hotels and flights.
And England fans are turning away from the tournament in droves because of the exorbitant costs. One WhatsApp group of eight regular England fans who have never missed out on qualifying this campaign has already seen six say they “just can’t afford to go”, a familiar story. They all went to Qatar in 2022, but only two of them may go to the United States.
The cheapest ticket to the World Cup final costs a whopping £3,120, meaning it will cost at least £200 to watch the opening game between England and Croatia in Dallas next June. But the overall cost is a real crushing blow to fans, with FIFA today sending out an online link to England Supporters Travel Club members.
read more: England fans spent shocking amounts of money to take their families to the World Cup
Loyal England fan Garford Beck, one of the club’s more than 700 “top cappers” who has not missed a game in years, says it costs more than £12,000 just to go to America on a tight budget.
Derby fan Beck, 63, said: “We’re on an incredibly tight budget and for a large group like ours we might hire a minibus, but I have a niece so we might be able to stay with her and get a budget hotel.”
“But one of my friends has a budget of £50,000 and now he thinks he doesn’t care at all, which is completely ridiculous.
“The best World Cup for me was, believe it or not, in Qatar, because we were in the same place, we had a nice villa that could sleep 10 people, and the whole budget was under £5,000.
“Now it’s nearly three times that amount, which is completely out of reach for many fans. I’ve heard a lot of stories about fans not going because they can’t afford it, but they also don’t want to give their money to FIFA.”
“It’s crazy. It’s unfair. And it’s also very bad for the tournament without real fans in the stadium. We are the ones who create the atmosphere.”
Beck can’t remember the last England game he missed, let alone managing to play in the 1-1 draw with England in Poland in September 2021 during the coronavirus pandemic. But next summer, the United States may be too far a journey for many.
He added: “I definitely have a ticket and I love following England, but FIFA doesn’t want true fans like me to go. The only reason we were able to get into Poland during the coronavirus pandemic was because 10 of us bought a hospitality table from the Polish Football Federation. Apparently they thought it was funny. But we go everywhere.”
“Some people bought tickets for the knockout stage rather than the group games because they felt the tickets were expensive in South Africa, because they thought we could do well under coach Fabio Capello.
“Right now, we’re all wondering the same thing. It’s hard for people to do everything, especially when it looks like there’s going to be some friendlies in Florida that fans want to go to.”
England fans who belong to Supporters Travel Club can buy tickets to the final and have the option to return them if Tuchel’s side leave early. However, a handling fee will be charged even for returns. The Football Association will raise fan concerns over FIFA, which has been widely criticized for its fee structure.
Football’s world governing body has promised “ring-fence” prices for genuine fans, but the likes of England, Spain and Portugal are so popular that the value of seats at top matches is rising.
Ticket prices for sporting and concert events in the US are much higher than in the UK, and World Cup tickets are already in high demand. But England fans will not be able to travel, let alone watch their team.
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