Football fans have been left outraged after FIFA released its ticket pricing for the 2026 World Cup.
For Socceroos supporters, the cheapest ticket to a group game is $209.96 for category three seats. Category two seats are $569.89 while category one are $674.87.
Those tickets are for games against whoever joins the group from European qualifying and the Paraguay match. Tickets for the USA match are higher, with the cheapest at $398.
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The prices are a far cry from FIFA once claiming $US60 ($90) tickets would be available and the US advertising $US21 ($31) options when bidding for the tournament.
A Socceroos fan at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. Getty
However, FIFA has adopted a dynamic pricing system for the first time at a World Cup.
Fan organisation Football Supporters Europe (FSE) described the new prices as “extortionate”.
“This is a monumental betrayal of the tradition of the World Cup, ignoring the contribution of supporters to the spectacle it is,” it said in a statement.
The English Football Association shared pricing information with the England Supporters Travel Club (ESTC) on Friday (AEDT), which showed that if a fan bought a ticket for every game through to the final it would cost more than $10,500.
A FIFA spokesperson told The Athletic in a statement that “the pricing model … reflects the existing market practice for major entertainment and sporting events within our hosts on a daily basis, soccer included”.
Tickets for the final at MetLife Stadium are already going for in excess of $16,500 on secondary resale sites.
For this tournament FIFA has also set up its own resale platform where it charges a 15 per cent fee based on the total resale price.
FIFA said that closer to the tournament any remaining tickets will go on general sale on a first-come, first-served basis.
It did not reveal a timeframe for the release of those remaining tickets.