The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) is once again facing sharp criticism over its "exorbitant" prices and "opaque" policies for selling tickets for this summer's World Cup. The final sales window opened on Wednesday, amid reports of fans from around the world experiencing long delays in securing World Cup tickets, which is being held this summer in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. FIFA has been criticized for its ticket pricing since the initial sales launch last autumn, and for its decision to adopt dynamic pricing, where prices rise or fall depending on demand. The Athletic newspaper reported that ticket prices for about 40 out of 104 World Cup matches were higher than in previous sales periods, and found that the price of a top-tier ticket for the final match has now reached around $11,000, after being less than $7,000 during the first sales period. Even this initial price was much higher than the one mentioned in the FIFA host nations' bid, where the three countries pledged that the top-tier ticket for the final would be $1,550. A spokesperson for the Football Supporters' Association told the British news agency PA Media on Thursday: "This is the most expensive World Cup in history for traveling fans, from match tickets to travel and accommodation." They added, "This problem isn't just confined to English fans, it's fans all over the world." They explained, "FIFA's exorbitant prices and its vague policies have led many fans to believe that they simply cannot afford to attend the biggest global football event." Last week, the European Football Supporters' Alliance filed a complaint with the European Commission over FIFA's World Cup ticket pricing strategy. The Athletic noted price increases for tickets to the two opening matches in Mexico and Canada for the 2026 World Cup, but found that the ticket price for the US team's opening match against Paraguay in Los Angeles on June 12 has remained stable since it was first put on sale last October. There have also been reports of long queues just to get onto the sales platform, with fans being directed to a separate queue reserved only for fans signed up to loyalty programs of the qualified nations, which was introduced on Tuesday.
