Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called on FIFA to take further action after it introduced discounted World Cup tickets for a limited number of supporters following widespread anger over pricing. Fans in the national team’s travel clubs and loyalty schemes learned last week that the most affordable tickets for the final cost more than £3,000, while England supporters who want to follow their team from the opening game to the final will have to spend at least £5,000.
Despite this, FIFA has now revealed that 10 per cent of the participants’ association (PMA) allocation for each match, including the final, will be US$60 (£45). The move follows senior-level talks in Doha this week, with federations including the Football Association believed to have raised concerns about the price structure.
However, the concession appears to have done little to quell supporters’ anger, with one fan group describing it as “nothing more than an appeasement tactic”.
Starmer urged FIFA to do more in a post on X, writing: “I welcome FIFA’s announcement of lower prices for supporter tickets.”
“However, as someone who was saving money on England tickets, I encourage FIFA to do more to make tickets more affordable so that the World Cup does not lose the connection with the real supporters that makes this match so special.”
FIFA came under fire from supporters’ organizations last week, with Football Supporters Europe (FSE) branding their actions a “grave betrayal” of fans and calling on soccer’s world governing body to suspend the PMA allocation sales process.
The PMA allocation represents 8% of stadium capacity per match per country.
Just over 4,000 tickets were handed over to the FA for the opening match against Croatia. This means around 400 supporters will be able to take advantage of the new £45 ticket, with a further 40% securing the next cheapest £198 ticket.
Approximately 450 of the 4,500 tickets will be sold for £45 for the final.
A FIFA source familiar with the discussions said: “The demand for tickets has been extraordinary, with over 20 million requests to date at this latest stage. We have listened to the feedback and this new category is the right move.”
“There was unanimous agreement to make $60 tickets available to more fans, including our most loyal travelers.
“The association needs to think about who is the best recipient. This is a unique tournament and a unique market, especially in the US where resale is allowed on secondary platforms. Demand is very high.
“No organization supports the development of football around the world like FIFA. All 211 associations, including the poorest countries, will benefit from the commercial success of the World Cup.”
However, the Fans Embassy for England fans, a soccer supporter’s association, called on FIFA to stop holding “promotional matches” and to set “reasonable prices for all supporters”.
“FIFA has a track record of announcing ‘affordable’ headline prices that are not actually available to the majority of fans,” the association said in a statement.
“This appears to be a new version of that aimed at relieving pressure on FIFA without solving the problems of the majority of supporters.
“While this is a step in the right direction and shows that change for good can be made, 90% of our loyal and passionate supporters are left paying an exorbitant price.”
“The changes are not enough,” FSE said, highlighting the lack of pricing structures and complementary companion tickets for fans with disabilities.
“At this point, we view FIFA’s announcement as nothing more than an appeasement tactic due to negative global backlash,” the statement said.
“We call on FIFA to engage in an appropriate dialogue to reach a solution that respects the contribution of fans and the dignity of fans with disabilities.”
The FA has been contacted for comment.
