FIFA hails 5M World Cup ticket requests in 24 hours amid backlash

FIFA said on Friday it had received 5 million ticket requests in the first 24 hours of the third phase of ticket sales for the 2026 World Cup, despite widespread backlash from fan groups over the latest prices.

World football’s governing body said the figures showed “demand from around the world had reached extraordinary levels”, with fans able to apply for tickets to specific matches for the first time following last week’s draw for the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Misleading the “enthusiasm” of fans from more than 200 countries to buy tickets for the inaugural 48-team World Cup, FIFA showed no sign of backing down in the face of harsh criticism when the latest prices were revealed on Thursday.

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A list published by the German Football Association revealed that prices ranged between $180 and $700 for different matches in the group stage. The lowest price for the finale was $4,185 and the highest price was $8,680.

The English Football Association shared pricing information with the England Supporters Travel Club (ESTC), which showed that if a fan bought a ticket for every match until the final, it would cost just over $7,000.

Fans’ organization Football Supporters Europe (FSE) described current prices as “exorbitant” and called on FIFA to immediately suspend ticket sales through national associations “until a solution respecting the tradition, universality and cultural importance of the World Cup is found.”

“This is a monumental betrayal of the tradition of the World Cup, ignoring the contribution of fans to the spectacle it represents,” he said in a statement.

The goal of U.S. Soccer officials when they bid for the tournament seven years ago was to offer hundreds of thousands of seats at $21 during the opening phase of games. However, FIFA implemented dynamic pricing at a World Cup for the first time after its use at this summer’s Club World Cup, with prices set to fluctuate based on demand.

The last time the United States hosted the World Cup in 1994, prices ranged from $25 to $475. In Qatar 2022, prices ranged from around $70 to $1,600 when ticket details were announced.

Through the “draw”, which began on Thursday, fans can select which matches, ticket category and number of tickets for each match they wish to purchase, although there is no guarantee of successfully obtaining tickets.

The third sales phase will run until January 13, 2026, with successful applicants to be notified by email in February and invoiced automatically.

FIFA said the three host countries led demand in the third phase, with loud clamors elsewhere in the Americas. Colombia, England, Ecuador, Brazil, Argentina, Scotland, Germany, Australia, France and Panama make up the next 10 countries with the most ticket requests.

Among the group stage competitions, Colombia’s clash against Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo in Miami on June 27 attracted the most ticket requests in the first 24 hours, FIFA said. Other high-demand matches include Brazil v Morocco (New Jersey), Mexico v South Korea (Guadalajara), Ecuador v Germany (New Jersey) and Scotland v Brazil (Miami).

Despite Scotland’s strong demand for ticket sales for what will be the country’s first appearance at a World Cup since 1998, a group of Scottish supporters have described the prices as “shameful and disgusting” and urged the country’s football association to make their feelings known to FIFA.

“This is going to be costly for many of our fans,” the Association of Tartan Military Clubs (ATAC) said in a statement. “FIFA has killed the dream of our young fans, desperate to reach a World Cup.

“The SFA must stand up to FIFA, alongside other associations, for FIFA to end this sale and reconsider prices for our supporters.”

Meanwhile, the English Football Association is preparing to make the discontent of its country’s fans known to FIFA, according to a report published Friday by the Press Association, although it does not hope this will change anything.

FIFA concluded Friday’s update by saying: “As a not-for-profit organization, FIFA reinvests the revenue it generates from the FIFA World Cup to fuel the growth of football. [men’s, women’s and youth] in the 211 FIFA member associations around the world. »

Information from the Associated Press and PA was used in this report.