In a surprising turn of events, FIFA has cut the price of some World Cup tickets to $60 in a bid to appease loyal fans, following a global backlash over the previously exorbitant prices. This rare climbdown by the soccer body and its president Gianni Infantino comes amidst waves of criticism for World Cup strategies, which included high ticket prices and closer political alignment with U.S. President Donald Trump.
FIFA’s New Pricing Strategy
FIFA announced on Tuesday that $60 tickets will be made available for every game at the tournament in North America. These tickets will be offered to the national federations whose teams are participating in the tournament. It will be the responsibility of these federations to distribute these tickets to loyal fans who have supported their teams in previous domestic and international matches.
Each game is likely to have between 400 to 750 tickets available at this reduced price, as part of what FIFA is now calling a “Supporter Entry Tier” price category. The tournament will be hosted across 16 cities, including 11 NFL stadiums in the United States, two in Canada, and three in Mexico.
Although FIFA did not explicitly outline the reasoning behind this dramatic change in strategy, it stated that the lower prices are “designed to further support traveling fans following their national teams across the tournament.”
Response from Football Supporters Europe
However, the Football Supporters Europe group, which represents grass-roots fan groups, has described the limited price cut as “an appeasement tactic due to the global negative backlash.” In a statement, the group criticized FIFA’s ticketing policy as hasty and lacking proper consultation.
The group also highlighted that despite the price cut, the majority of fans would still have to pay “extortionate prices, way higher than at any tournament before.” This criticism comes despite FIFA’s claim of having already received more than 20 million ticket requests in its latest sales phase.
Initial Pledge for Cheap Tickets
Last week, FIFA’s ticketing plans, which excluded participating teams from the lowest-priced category, were met with shock and anger from fans worldwide. The cheapest prices ranged from $140 to $265 for group-stage games that did not involve the co-hosts, the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
FIFA had set these prices despite a pledge made eight years ago by the co-hosts during their bid for the tournament. They had promised that hundreds of thousands of $21 tickets would be made available for games before the knockout rounds.
European Criticism
Criticism from European fans has been growing for several months over FIFA’s plans for “dynamic pricing” and additional fees on a FIFA-run resale platform. These features, while common in the U.S. entertainment industry, are unfamiliar to and unpopular with soccer fans worldwide.
In response to the backlash, FIFA announced that it would waive its administrative fees for refunds made after the July 19 final.
Policy for Fans with Disabilities
Prior to FIFA’s statement, the supporter group FSE had called for a rethinking of World Cup policy for fans with disabilities. The group criticized FIFA’s re-sale platform for offering disability access seats at multiple times their face value, without assurances that these tickets would be sold to people with a disability. In comparison, the last World Cup in Qatar offered free tickets for companions of fans with disabilities.
In a reminder to FIFA of its commitment to inclusion, FSE stated, “True inclusion requires action. It’s time for FIFA to move away from populistic statements and respect its own commitments.”
