FIFA have announced a new “supporter entry tier” ticket category for the 2026 World Cup.
But what does it mean for England fans?
Okay, so Fifa have blinked. What have they actually announced?
The new ticket category was a direct result of the stick Fifa took from fans worldwide over the initial seating price list.
Until Tuesday night, the minimum England fans would have paid for a ticket for the opening Group L match against Croatia would have been £198, going up to £3,119 if the Three Lions get to the Final at MetLife Stadium outside New York on July 19.
Now, the bottom price seats for EVERY England game, available to Three Lions fans, which applies to all the knockout ties up to and including the Final, is £45.
That’s a big difference. There must be a catch?
Of course there is. It’s Fifa and they were dragged kicking and screaming into the concession.
Each national association, including the FA, will get approximately eight per cent of the stadium allocation – after sponsors’ seats are excluded – for each game.
Now, 10 per cent of those seats will be in the “supporter entry tier” with the other prices remaining the same.
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Unless you are one of the lucky fans, we’re still talking an arm and a leg. And other body parts when it comes to the crunch games later on.
So how many tickets are we actually talking about?
It’s not a precise number but around 400-450 seats for the Croatia match in the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, near Dallas, approximately 388 for the Ghana game in Foxborough on the outskirts of Boston and 480 or so for the final Group match against Panama at MetLife.
That doesn’t exactly spell a major U-turn?
No. It looks cosmetic – although cosmetic is better than nothing.
But the England Supporters Travel Club has around 600 “top-cappers”, the fans who have amassed the most loyalty points for attending matches abroad.
So maybe two thirds of them will be able to take advantage of the cheaper seats for each game, meaning they could be sitting next to fans who have paid more than four times as much for effectively the same standard seat in the group phase – and 70 TIMES as much at the Final.
What have Fifa said?
Officially, national associations – including the FA and Scottish FA – have been “requested to ensure that these tickets are specifically allocated to loyal fans who are closely connected to their national teams”.
Privately, even Fifa insiders conceded they were forced into the change of heart by the global backlash.
Fifa’s position is that they have listened to fans and reacted, allowing some supporters the chance to watch even the biggest game in world football at a genuinely affordable price.
The reality is that less than TWO per cent of tickets will be on sale at the lowest price. Not entirely tin-eared. But not hugely better.
What have the fans said?
Unsurprisingly, variations of the same thing – “rip-off”, “farce”, a “token gesture” and “a joke”. And those were the positive reviews.
Can the FA do anything?
Wembley chiefs “contacted” Fifa to “pass on their concerns” last week. But, to a degree, it is out of their hands.
Saying that, the FA could make a financial gesture, especially for the earlier games.
There will now be around 5,000 tickets in the second lowest pricing bracket for the three group games.
If the FA chose to subsidise just through tickets, selling them at the £45 level instead but reimbursing Fifa at full price, it would cost Wembley bosses around £660,000.
The FA would earn around £10million in prize money merely for getting through the group phase, which will eliminate just 16 of the 48 teams.
