Demand for tickets to the 2026 FIFA World Cup has surged, with five million requests lodged since the latest ticketing phase opened on Thursday, according to football’s world governing body. FIFA said fans from more than 200 countries have applied for tickets, underlining the global appetite for the expanded tournament to be hosted jointly by the United States, Canada and Mexico. However, the strong interest has been accompanied by mounting criticism over the steep cost of tickets, which supporters’ groups have described as excessive and exclusionary.
FIFA said the most in-demand fixture so far is the group-stage match between Colombia and Portugal, scheduled to be played in Miami on June 27. Other highly sought-after matches include Brazil versus Morocco in New Jersey on June 13, Mexico against South Korea in Guadalajara on June 18, Ecuador versus Germany in New Jersey on June 25, and Scotland’s group game against Brazil in Miami on June 24. Ticket requests have been highest from the three host nations, followed by Colombia, England, Ecuador, Brazil, Argentina, Scotland, Germany, Australia, France and Panama.
Despite the enthusiasm, the pricing structure for the tournament has drawn sharp criticism. The Football Supporters’ Association (FSA) has labelled the prices “scandalous”, pointing out that group-stage tickets for next year’s World Cup are priced at up to three times the cost of those at the 2022 tournament in Qatar. The cheapest ticket available for the final has been set at £3,119, a figure that has angered fans and intensified calls for FIFA to rethink its approach.
The FSA has joined Football Supporters Europe in demanding that ticket sales be paused to allow meaningful discussions with FIFA over its pricing policy. In a statement, the FSA urged national football associations to intervene, arguing that supporters are being priced out of the game. It also called on the Football Association to work alongside other FAs to directly challenge what it described as “disgraceful” ticket costs, stressing that professional football depends on its supporters.
The Football Association is expected to raise fans’ concerns with FIFA, after being asked to lobby the governing body on the issue. Although FIFA has yet to publicly respond to the criticism, BBC Sport has been told the FA is aware of the anger among England supporters and plans to convey their views. FA chair Debbie Hewitt is due to attend a FIFA Council meeting in Doha next week. She has previously spoken out against dynamic ticket pricing and has pledged that such a system will not be used at Euro 2028, which is set to be hosted by the UK and Ireland.
Behind the scenes, FIFA insiders argue that while ticket prices may appear high, they reflect the realities of the US market and the organisation’s responsibility to generate revenue to support the development of men’s, women’s and youth football globally. FIFA president Gianni Infantino has also committed to delivering record revenues, with the 2026 World Cup expected to become the most lucrative sporting event in history, a factor that could strengthen his re-election prospects in 2027.
Details released this week show the scale of the increase. At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, group-stage tickets were priced at £68.50, £164.50 and £219. For comparable fixtures next year, such as England versus Croatia or Scotland versus Brazil, prices rise to approximately £198, £373 and £523. Costs escalate further in the knockout rounds, with quarter-final tickets priced up to £1,073, semi-final tickets reaching £2,363, and final tickets climbing to more than seven times the cost of the equivalent match in Qatar. No concessions have been offered for children or other groups.
The 2026 World Cup, featuring 48 teams for the first time, will run from June 11 to July 19, with the draw having been made last Friday.
