FIFA on Wednesday announced the introduction of a limited number of $60 “Supporter Entry Tier” tickets, aimed at making the 2026 FIFA World Cup more affordable for supporters of qualified teams. Football’s governing body said the discounted tickets will be available for all 104 matches, including the final. According to FIFA, the reduced-price tickets will account for 10 percent of the ticket allocations for Participating Member Associations (PMAs). These associations represent competing national teams and are responsible for managing fan-focused ticket programmes. PMAs will oversee the distribution process and set their own criteria to prioritise “loyal fans” with strong ties to their national teams. FIFA added that 50 percent of each PMA’s total ticket allocation will fall within the most affordable categories, with 40 percent under the Supporter Value Tier and 10 percent under the newly introduced Supporter Entry Tier. “The remaining allocation will be split evenly between the Supporter Standard Tier and the Supporter Premier Tier,” it added. Fans who apply through PMA ticketing programmes and whose teams fail to progress to the knockout stage will have administrative fees waived for refund requests. The announcement comes amid growing scrutiny of ticket pricing ahead of the 2026 tournament, set to take place from June 11 to July 19 across Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Last week, Football Supporters Europe (FSE) accused FIFA of imposing “extortionate” ticket prices that could prevent average fans from attending the event. FSE director Ronan Evain told Reuters on Tuesday that while the new pricing was a step in the right direction it was “clearly not sufficient”. He noted that following a team to the final would cost $480 under category four, but jumps to $6,900 for category three, meaning one fan “sitting in the same section” as another could pay 15 times more. Evain also said there was a lack of transparency around ticket distribution. “FIFA doesn’t provide any guidelines or obligations for the PMAs. They have the freedom to choose how they distribute the tickets,” he said. According to the BBC, this will mean about 400 of the cheaper tickets will be available for England and Scotland in their group games, yet Evain said that most PMAs don’t disclose the number of tickets. FIFA said in its statement on Wednesday that PMAs were requested to ensure that these cheaper tickets were “specifically allocated to loyal fans who are closely connected to their national teams”. Evain also raised concerns about accessibility for fans with disabilities. “The cheapest they can get all the way to the final is $7,000 and they also must pay full price for companion seats, meaning that following a team to the final could cost $14,000,” he said. Despite the backlash, FIFA reported strong interest in the sale’s third phase draw, which began on December 11 and will remain open until January 13, driven by the release of match schedules, venues and kick-off times.
FIFA Introduces $60 Ticket Tier Amid Criticism Over 2026 World Cup Prices
