Football Supporters Europe (FSE) has initiated legal proceedings with the European Commission against FIFA, claiming "excessive ticket prices" for the forthcoming World Cup finals set to take place in 2026.
In a statement released on Tuesday, FSE along with Euroconsumers described the situation, stating, "Euroconsumers and Football Supporters Europe (FSE) have filed a formal complaint with the European Commission against FIFA, alleging that the football governing body has misused its monopoly position to set exorbitant ticket prices and unfair purchasing conditions for European fans ahead of the 2026 World Cup."
They further highlighted, "FIFA possesses exclusive control over ticket sales for the 2026 World Cup, using that dominance to impose terms on fans that would not be tolerated in a competitive market."
The complaints detail that the ticket prices for the final scheduled for July 19 are significantly higher than those of the last World Cup final held in Qatar in 2022.
As per the FSE, the lowest ticket prices available for the final are now pegged at $4,185, marking a price increase of over seven times compared to the cheapest ticket from the 2022 event.
In comparison, the organization indicated that the least expensive tickets for the UEFA Euro 2024 final are priced at 95 euros ($100).
"FIFA's bid documents estimated an average ticket price of $1,408, a figure that is now vastly exceeded," FSE pointed out.
FIFA has announced that nearly seven million tickets are available for this prestigious sporting event which will be jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
Fans are permitted to purchase a maximum of four tickets per match, scaling up to a total of 40 tickets throughout the entire tournament.
The 2026 World Cup will involve 104 matches, being the first tournament featuring 48 teams, and ticket pricing has surged for highly coveted games.
The FSE noted that the original promise from the North American bid was to offer tickets starting as low as $21, yet the first tickets released were priced at $60 for matches such as the Group J opener between Austria and Jordan at Levi’s Stadium in California.
Most tickets for top-tier matches now start at approximately $200.
Some tickets available on FIFA's official resale website are listed at exorbitant prices.
For instance, a category three seat for the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey was recently posted at an astounding $143,750, which exceeds more than 41 times its original price of $3,450.
Comments (0)
You must be logged in to comment.
Be the first to comment on this article!