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England Fans have been warned they can expect to pay more than £5,000 on match tickets alone if they want to follow their country next summer. world cup And Thomas Tuchel’s side reached the final, which is worth more than £3,000.
Independent understands that some national associations have reacted with horror when they were informed that PMA (Participating Member Association) tickets are five times more expensive than the last World Cup in Qatar, while the main European fan group Football Supporters Europe (FSE) has accused FIFA of “betrayal” and called for an “immediate halt” to ticket sales.
Some national associations are said to be “furious”, and England’s FA is set to inform the England Supporters Travel Club that eligible members – who have earned enough loyalty points to meet their criteria – can expect to pay at least £198 for a “value tier” seat at the opening game of the tournament against Croatia in Dallas. PMAs are allocated eight percent of the tickets for each match in which they participate.
The Croatian Football Federation has published details of PMA tickets for the tournament, with a “standard tier” seat at the England game priced at £372 and a “premium tier” seat at £520. Prices increase throughout the tournament and the cheapest PMA tickets for the World Cup final on 19 July are listed at £3,117 each.
The PMA price for Scotland’s allocation was confirmed by the Scottish Football Association (SFA), with the cheapest ticket for their opening match against Haiti in Boston priced at £134, rising to £372 for the “premium level”. Scotland’s cheapest ticket for the Brazil match in Miami costs £198, rising to £520 for the “premium tier” – the same breakdown as was used for England’s match against Croatia.
The “extortionate” ticket prices do not include the cost of travel and hotels to the United States, with prices skyrocketing since the World Cup match schedule was confirmed following last Friday’s tournament draw.
Tickets for the PMAs are set at a fixed rate and are not subject to “variable pricing” – while all fans Can enter a random selection drawOpening on Thursday 11 December, FIFA has not yet confirmed the prices of those tickets.
Tickets coming to the market on general sale will be subject to dynamic pricing, making it more expensive to attend in-demand games and follow the most popular teams, while FIFA will also operate its own resale market that allows sellers to charge several times more than face value for games in the United States and Canada, but not in Mexico, and also take 30 percent of the sale price.
“This is a gross betrayal of World Cup tradition, ignoring the contribution of supporters,” the FSE said in a statement.
“For the first time in World Cup history, no consistent price will be offered across all group stage games. Instead, FIFA is introducing a variable pricing policy dependent on vague criteria such as the perceived attractiveness of the fixture. Fans of different national teams will therefore have to pay different prices for the same category at the same stage of the tournament, with no transparency on the pricing structure implemented by FIFA.
“We call on FIFA to immediately stop the sale of PMA tickets, consult with all affected parties, and review ticket prices and category distribution, until a solution is found that respects the tradition, universality and cultural significance of the World Cup.”
A statement from FIFA on ticket prices earlier said: “The pricing model adopted for FIFA World Cup 26 reflects existing market practice for major entertainment and sporting events on a daily basis within our host countries, including football.
“It is also a reflection of the behavior of the secondary market for tickets, which has a different legal treatment than in many other parts of the world. We are focused on ensuring fair access to our games for existing but potential fans.
“Stadium category maps do not reflect the number of tickets available in a given category, but rather reflect default seating locations. The FIFA resale fee is in line with North American industry trends across various sports and entertainment sectors.”
The FA and FIFA have been contacted for comment