Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has called on FIFA to take further action regarding ticket prices for the upcoming World Cup. Following backlash from fans over exorbitant costs, Starmer’s appeal highlights the need for tickets that are accessible to all supporters, not just a select few.
Supporters affiliated with national team travel clubs recently discovered that the cheapest tickets for the final would exceed £3,000 (approximately $4,000). Fans hoping to attend every match, should their team progress to the final, could face minimum expenses exceeding £5,000. In response to mounting criticism, FIFA has announced that 10% of the allocation for each match will now include tickets priced at $60 (about £45), which includes tickets for the final.
This decision came after meetings in Doha involving senior officials from various football federations, including the Football Association (FA). Despite this concession, many fans remain dissatisfied. One supporter group dismissed FIFA’s move as “nothing more than an appeasement tactic.”
Starmer commented on social media platform X, stating, “I welcome FIFA’s announcement of some lower-priced supporters tickets. But as someone who used to save up for England tickets, I encourage FIFA to do more to make tickets more affordable so that the World Cup doesn’t lose touch with the genuine supporters who make the game so special.”
FIFA’s pricing strategy has faced sharp criticism from various fan organizations. Football Supporters Europe (FSE) labeled FIFA’s actions a “monumental betrayal,” urging the governing body to halt the ongoing ticket allocation process. The allocation system, known as the participant member association (PMA), allows for 8% of stadium capacity to be set aside for each country per match.
For example, the FA received just over 4,000 tickets for the opening match, meaning only around 400 fans could benefit from the new pricing structure. Moreover, for the final, roughly 450 of 4,500 tickets will be available at the lower price.
A FIFA official involved in the discussions stated, “Demand for tickets has been off the scale, with more than 20 million requests so far in this latest phase. We have listened to feedback, and this new category is the right thing to do.” The official assured that making $60 tickets available to loyal fans was a unanimous decision.
Despite FIFA’s claims of support for the sport’s development globally, fan groups continue to express dissatisfaction with the pricing structure. The Football Supporters’ Association’s Fans’ Embassy for England fans accused FIFA of “playing PR games” and called for a more reasonable pricing strategy. They stated, “FIFA has a track record of announcing ‘affordable’ headline prices that, in reality, aren’t available to the vast majority of fans.”
While some view the recent changes as a step in the right direction, many supporters argue that they still leave the majority paying inflated prices. The FA has been approached for further comment on the situation as discussions continue regarding the World Cup ticketing strategy.
