In a significant policy reversal, FIFA has announced the introduction of more affordable tickets for the 2026 World Cup following intense criticism from supporters' groups worldwide.
A Climbdown on Pricing
The global football governing body confirmed on Tuesday 16 December 2025 that a new 'Supporter Entry Tier' will offer tickets from $60 (£45) for all 104 matches, including the final. This move comes after a fierce outcry over initial prices, which saw the cheapest ticket for the final priced at over £3,000.
However, the availability of these budget tickets will be severely limited. FIFA stated that only 10% of each qualified nation's ticket allocation will fall into this cheapest category. This means the number of £45 tickets per match is likely to be in the hundreds, not thousands, even in stadiums with capacities nearing 100,000.
Fan Groups Label Move an 'Appeasement Tactic'
The reaction from organised supporter bodies has been sceptical. Ronan Evain, executive director of Football Supporters Europe (FSE), dismissed the announcement as "nothing more than an appeasement tactic due to the global negative backlash".
He argued that the policy shift reveals FIFA's original plans were "decided in a rush, and without proper consultation." While acknowledging FIFA's seeming recognition of the damage caused, Evain insisted the revisions "do not go far enough to reconcile" the harm done to loyal fans.
The outrage was compounded by the fact that the original 2018 bid book from the USA-Canada-Mexico hosting coalition promised cheapest tickets at $21 (£15.64).
Distribution and Further Concessions
The new, cheaper tickets will be allocated to the national federations of the teams playing in each match. It will then be the responsibility of those federations, such as the Football Association for England fans, to distribute them to their most loyal supporters.
In another concession, FIFA announced that fans who apply for tickets through their national association and whose team fails to progress from the group stage will have their administrative fee waived when refunds are processed. This addresses a key complaint about fans being charged fees for tickets to games that never happen.
This series of U-turns represents a rare climbdown for FIFA under president Gianni Infantino. The organisation, which expects revenue of at least $10bn (£7.4bn) from the expanded 48-team tournament, has faced unprecedented pressure from its core audience. The controversy even overshadowed the glitzy FIFA Best awards ceremony in Qatar, highlighting the depth of the global fan anger.
