Football fans condemn ‘monumental betrayal’ over World Cup ticket prices

The FIFA World Cup Trophy is displayed on the stage during the draw for the 2026 FIFA Football World Cup taking place in the US, Canada and Mexico, at the Kennedy Center, in Washington, DC, on Dec. 5, 2025. Photo by Mandel NGAN / POOL / AFP via Getty ImagesArticle contentFootball fan groups have called on FIFA to halt ticket sales for next summer’s World Cup, warning that “extortionate” prices are a “monumental betrayal” of the event’s tradition of being open to all.Sign In or Create an AccountEmail AddressContinueor View more offersArticle contentThe main ticket ballot for the tournament — due to be held across the U.S., Mexico and Canada next summer — opened on Thursday, offering fans the first chance to buy tickets since last week’s draw to decide which teams face each other in the first round of matches.Article contentWe apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentArticle contentFIFA, football’s governing body, also informed member associations of the ticket prices for their allocations.Article contentTop StoriesGet the latest headlines, breaking news and columns.There was an error, please provide a valid email address.Sign UpBy signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.Thanks for signing up!A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Top Stories will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againInterested in more newsletters? Browse here.Article contentAccording to pricing tables distributed by several football federations, “value” tickets for the World Cup final will start at US$4,195, rising to US$5,575 for “standard” seats and US$8,680 for “premium.”Article contentA “standard” ticket for the group stage game between Qatar and Switzerland in Santa Clara, Calif., will cost US$380. A “standard” seat at Croatia’s opening match against England in Dallas will cost US$500, while “value” tickets — which are expected to be scarce — start at US$265.Article contentTicket prices for games vary between matches, depending on the location and the teams taking part. Almost two million tickets have already been sold in presale ballots, many of them costing hundreds of dollars.Article contentFootball Supporters Europe, an umbrella organisation representing fan groups across the region, on Thursday urged FIFA to halt ticket sales due to prices reaching “astronomical levels.”Article content“This is a monumental betrayal of the tradition of the World Cup, ignoring the contribution of supporters to the spectacle it is,” said FSE, adding that ticket sales should be halted “until a solution that respects the tradition, universality and cultural significance of the World Cup is found.”Article contentArticle contentFSE said that, based on the guidance it had received, a fan would have to spend at least US$6,900 to follow their team from the opening game to the final, almost five times the equivalent cost compared with the 2022 tournament in Qatar.Article contentRead More Carney doesn’t plan to talk trade with Trump at FIFA event Trump all smiles as the winner of FIFA's new peace prize Article contentFIFA has already been facing criticism over its decision to introduce variable pricing for some World Cup tickets, a system where prices are set to match expected demand. It has also set up its own resale platform, where it will take a 15 per cent cut of the sale price from both buyer and seller.Article contentFIFA expects to generate revenue of more than US$11 billion from the four-year period ending with the World Cup, up from US$7.6 billion from the previous cycle. The tournament has expanded to include 48 teams, up from 32 in Qatar.Article contentSpeaking on stage in Washington last week as he received FIFA’s inaugural “peace prize,” U.S.

President Donald Trump congratulated Gianni Infantino, FIFA president, on record ticket sales. “I can report to you that we have sold more tickets than any country anywhere in the world at this stage of the game,” Trump said.Article contentFIFA has been contacted for comment. It has previously said its ticket pricing policy “reflects the existing market practice for major entertainment and sporting events within our hosts” and that its resale platform fees “are aligned with North American industry trends.”Article content© 2025 The Financial Times LtdArticle contentTrending Canadian households boost their wealth to another record high of $18.4 trillion with ‘supercharged' financial asset growth Wealth Couple's TFSAs, RRSPs and non-registered accounts are 90% equities. Should they be more conservative toward retirement?

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Personal Finance Posthaste: Canadian investors love the Big Six banks more than is good for them, this adviser says News CRA penalized taxpayer for repeated failure to report income Personal Finance Who is Mark Wiseman? The career of the man expected to be Canada’s new U.S. ambassador Finance