FIFA establishes new World Cup ticket tier with $60 prices
FIFA has announced an affordable entry price level for each qualifying nation for the 2026 World Cup co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. The supporter entry level will offer tickets at a fixed price of $60 for each match, including the final, for participating member associations from each nation.
The new tier comes after European fan groups denounced FIFA over dynamic ticket pricing, which changes the value based on the popularity of the teams participating in each match.
“In total, 50% of each PMA allocation will fall within the most affordable range, namely Fan Value Level (40%) and Fan Entry Level (10%),” FIFA said in a statement on Tuesday. “The remaining allocation is split equally between the Standard Supporter Tier and the Prime Supporter Tier.”
FIFA will also waive administrative fees for fans who obtain tickets for participating member associations, but whose teams do not progress and request a refund.
Ticket sales were rolled out by FIFA in stages, with a third of the tournament inventory claimed in the first two phases. The third phase began on December 11 and will continue until January 13. During this period, fans have the opportunity to allocate match tickets based on a draw.
Before the new tier was introduced, the cheapest ticket to the World Cup final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey cost fans more than $4,000. The high prices have raised concerns among European supporters.
“The prices set for the 2026 World Cup are outrageous, a step too far for many fans who passionately and loyally follow their national teams at home and abroad,” the FSA, an England and Wales supporters’ organization, said in a statement on its website. website on December 12. “Everything we feared about the direction in which FIFA wants to take the game has been confirmed: Gianni Infantino only sees fan loyalty as something to be exploited for profit.”
FIFA previously said it adopted variable pricing because it was standard practice for major sporting events in North America.
“What FIFA is doing is adapting to the domestic market,” a FIFA official said during the conference call. “It’s a reality in the United States and Canada that events are priced based on the demand that comes in for that event.”
A FIFA official told reporters before the first tickets went on sale that world soccer’s governing body hopes to earn more than $3 billion from hospitality and ticket sales and is confident the tournament will break the all-time World Cup attendance record set in 1994, the last time the men’s competition was held in the United States.
This 1994 World Cup only had 24 teams and 52 matches. The 2026 tournament will be twice as big, with 48 teams and 104 matches.
FIFA said it received 20 million applications during the draw sales.
SoFi Stadium will host eight matches, starting with the United States’ home opener against Paraguay on June 12. The Americans will finish group play in Inglewood on June 25 by facing the winner of the March qualifier involving Slovakia, Kosovo, Turkey and Romania. Two Group G matches – Iran v New Zealand on June 15 and Iran-Belgium on June 21 – will also be played in SoFi, sandwiched around a Group B match between Switzerland and the winner of another European qualifier, this one featuring Wales, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy and Northern Ireland.
The teams for the three knockout matches to be played at SoFi Stadium – round of 16 on June 28 and July 2 and quarterfinal on July 10 – have not been determined, but possibilities include Mexico, South Korea, Canada, Spain, Austria and Algeria.
Staff writer Kevin Baxter contributed to this report.
