FIFA has introduced cheaper World Cup tickets for national teams’ most loyal fans after an outcry over pricing erupted last week.
Fans who are part of national team travel clubs and loyalty schemes discovered last week that the cheapest available tickets for the final would be priced at over €3,400.
However, FIFA has now announced that 10% of the participant member association (PMA) allocation for each match will be priced at $60 (€51) – including for the final.
The decision follows meetings between senior officials in Doha this week, where federations are understood to have shared concerns about the pricing model.
FIFA faced criticism from fan groups last week, with Football Supporters Europe accusing them of a “monumental betrayal” of fans and urging the sport’s world governing body to halt the PMA allocation sale process.
The PMA allocation equates to 8% of stadium capacity per country per match.
Ticket prices had jumped five-fold from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, according to FSE.
Early demand is being driven by high-profile group-stage clashes, with Colombia v Portugal in Miami on 27 June the most sought-after fixture so far in the Random Selection Draw period.
Brazil v Morocco (New York/New Jersey, 13 June), Mexico v South Korea (Guadalajara, 18 June), Ecuador v Germany (New York/New Jersey, 25 June) and Scotland v Brazil (Miami, 24 June) round out the top five matches.
If the Republic of Ireland qualify they will face South Korea in Guadalajara on 12 June, South Africa in Atlanta on 18 June and co-hosts Mexico in Mexico City on 25 June.
A FIFA official close to the discussions said: “Demand for tickets has been off the scale, more than 20 million requests so far in this latest phase. We have listened to feedback and this new category is the right thing to do.
“Making $60 tickets available to more fans, including the most loyal ones who travel, was agreed on unanimously.
“Associations will need to work out who best should receive them. It’s a unique tournament and a unique market in the USA, in particular, which allows resales on secondary platforms. The demand is sky-high.
“No organisation does more to support the development of the game around the world than FIFA. All 211 associations, including the poorest countries, will benefit from a commercially successful World Cup.”
The FSE welcomed FIFA’s move, but said “the revisions do not go far enough to reconcile” and pointed to the absence of a pricing structure for disabled fans or complementary companion tickets.
A statement added: “For the moment we are looking at the FIFA announcement as nothing more than an appeasement tactic due to the global negative backlash.
“We call upon FIFA to engage in a proper dialogue to arrive at a solution that respects the contribution of fans and the dignity of fans with disabilities.”