FIFA has announced a new low-cost ticket category for the 2026 World Cup following widespread criticism from fans over ticket prices for the tournament, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
In a statement released Tuesday, world football’s governing body said it will offer a limited number of “Supporter Entry Tier” tickets priced at US$60 for all 104 matches, including the final. FIFA said the initiative is intended to support travelling fans following their national teams throughout the tournament.
The $60 tickets, equivalent to about €51, will be reserved for supporters of qualified national teams and will account for 10 per cent of each participating federation’s ticket allocation.
The move comes after strong criticism from Football Supporters Europe (FSE), which last week described FIFA’s original pricing structure as “extortionate” and “astronomical.” The group said ticket prices for 2026 were nearly five times higher than those at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, calling the increase a “monumental betrayal of the tradition of the World Cup.”
According to FSE, following a team from the group stage to the final under the original pricing model would have cost a supporter at least US$6,900. The group also pointed to a 2018 bid document in which organisers suggested tickets could start as low as US$21.
While welcoming FIFA’s decision to introduce a lower-priced option, FSE said the change does not go far enough.
“While we welcome FIFA’s seeming recognition of the damage its original plans were to cause, the revisions do not go far enough,” the group said in a statement Tuesday.
FSE described the new ticket category as an “appeasement tactic” in response to global backlash and argued that it highlights flaws in FIFA’s ticketing process.
“This shows that FIFA’s ticketing policy is not set in stone, was decided in a rush, and without proper consultation — including with FIFA’s own member associations,” the statement said.
The group added that based on publicly available allocations, only a few hundred fans per match and per team would likely benefit from the $60 tickets, leaving most supporters to pay prices higher than at any previous World Cup. FSE also criticized FIFA for failing to make specific provisions for supporters with disabilities or their companions.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer echoed those concerns, saying FIFA should do more to ensure affordability.
“I welcome FIFA’s announcement of some lower priced supporters’ tickets,” Starmer wrote on social media. “But I encourage FIFA to do more to make tickets more affordable so that the World Cup doesn’t lose touch with the genuine supporters who make the game so special.”
FIFA said national football federations will be responsible for allocating the discounted tickets and are expected to prioritize loyal supporters closely connected to their teams.
The organization also said fans who purchase tickets for knockout-stage matches but whose teams are eliminated earlier will have administrative fees waived when refunds are processed.
FIFA said the announcement comes amid “extraordinary global demand,” noting that approximately 20 million ticket requests have already been submitted.
The first-round ticket draw, covering all price categories, is scheduled for Jan. 13.