Soccer enthusiasts have filed an official complaint with the European Commission against FIFA regarding the pricing of World Cup tickets.
Football Supporters Europe (FSE) announced on Tuesday that it has collaborated with the consumer organization Euroconsumers to assert that the global governing body of soccer has exploited its position to enforce exorbitant prices.
FSE labeled FIFA’s actions a “monumental betrayal” in December when tickets were made available to the public, with prices ranging from $140 for the least expensive group matches to $8,680 for the final. The lowest price for the final was $4,185, but all prices are subject to modification as FIFA is implementing dynamic pricing for the first time at the World Cup co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
“FIFA possesses a monopoly over ticket sales for the 2026 World Cup and has leveraged that authority to impose conditions on fans that would be unacceptable in a competitive market,” FSE and Euroconsumers stated in a joint announcement.
In response to fan backlash in December, FIFA reduced some ticket prices to $60 for each round leading up to the final, which teams could allocate to their most dedicated supporters, but these represented only 10% of a team’s ticket allocation per match.
Apart from the steep prices, FSE also alleged that FIFA utilized pressure selling tactics and criticized the lack of transparency in the process.
It has urged for prices to be stabilized during the next sales phase in April and for dynamic pricing to be halted when selling to fans in Europe.
“Dynamic pricing transforms fans’ loyalty into a bidding contest, raises costs without providing additional value, and excludes many supporters,” stated Els Bruggeman, head of policy and enforcement at Euroconsumers.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino remarked in January that the demand for tickets was akin to “1,000 years of World Cups at once.” He indicated that all 104 matches at the World Cup would be sold out, suggesting “tickets will likely be resold at even higher prices.”
FSE also criticized FIFA’s official resale platform, which has seen tickets listed at prices significantly above their original value, from which the governing body takes a 30% commission on any sale.
“FIFA points to their unverified sales figures as justification for their unfair ticketing practices, while the reality is they leave loyal fans with no alternative — pay up or miss out,” remarked Ronan Evain, executive director for FSE.
FIFA informed the Associated Press that it had not officially received the complaint. It further stated that as a not-for-profit entity, revenue generated from the World Cup is reinvested to promote the growth of soccer.
The Associated Press and PA contributed to this report.
