The world football governing body revealed on Tuesday, December 16, that a new, more affordable ticket category will be available for the tournament, which will be hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico. The move comes after widespread backlash from supporter groups over the cost of attending matches.
In a statement, FIFA said it has created a “Supporter Entry Tier,” priced at 60 US dollars per ticket, which will be valid for all 104 matches, including the final. The initiative is aimed at supporting fans who travel to follow their national teams throughout the competition.
According to FIFA, these tickets will be exclusively reserved for supporters of teams that qualify for the tournament and will make up 10 percent of each national football federation’s ticket allocation.
The decision follows growing pressure from fan organisations. Football Supporters Europe (FSE) recently criticised the pricing structure, describing it as “extortionate” and “astronomical,” and noting that current prices are nearly five times higher than those at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
FSE estimated that a fan attending every match involving their team from the group stage to the final would spend at least $6,900. The group also pointed out that FIFA had promised ticket prices starting from $21 in its 2018 bid documents.
FIFA said national federations will be responsible for ensuring the discounted tickets are allocated to genuinely loyal supporters closely connected to their teams. The organisation also confirmed that fans who buy knockout-stage tickets but whose teams are eliminated earlier will have administrative fees waived when refunds are issued.
The governing body added that the new pricing tier is being introduced amid “extraordinary global demand,” with more than 20 million ticket requests already received. The first ticket draw across all price categories is scheduled for Tuesday, January 13.
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