FIFA’s ‘sky-high’ World Cup ticket prices subject of fans’ group legal complaint

Matt Slater

World Cup

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FIFA’s ‘sky-high’ World Cup ticket prices subject of fans’ group legal complaint

FIFA president Gianni Infantino (R) presents U.S. President Donald Trump with a FIFA World Cup final ticket in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC,

The cost of tickets at this summer’s tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States has been a hugely controversial topic. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds / AFP via Getty Images

FIFA’s “sky-high” World Cup ticket prices are the subject of a formal complaint at the European Commission.

In an 18-page complaint published on Tuesday, fans’ group Football Supporters Europe (FSE) and consumer rights organisation Euroconsumers claim that world football’s governing body has abused its “monopoly position to impose excessive ticket prices and opaque and unfair purchasing conditions on European fans” ahead of the tournament.

The cost of tickets at this summer’s men’s World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States has been a hugely controversial topic ever since FIFA confirmed the price list in October, when it became clear that what was never likely to be a cheap tournament to attend will actually be the most expensive for fans in history, by some margin.

In their complaint, FSE and Euroconsumers have identified six specific abuses of European Union competition law.

They claim that prices this summer will be significantly higher than at any previous World Cup, with tickets for the final at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium on July 19 starting at $4,185 (£3,123), seven times the cost of the cheapest ticket for the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar, and more than 40 times the cost of the most affordable seat at the 2024 European Championship final in Germany. When the so-called ‘United 2026’ bidding team won the right to host the tournament in 2018, it estimated an average ticket price for the final of $1,408 (£1,051).

They have also accused FIFA of “bait advertising”, “uncontrolled” dynamic pricing, a lack of transparency on seat locations and refund policies, “pressure-selling tactics” and trying to claim a “double win” by taking a 15 per cent commission from both the buyer and seller on FIFA’s official resale platform.

The claim of “bait advertising”, which is illegal under E.U. consumer law, is a reference to FIFA’s claim that group-stage tickets start at $60 (£45). This, however, has been a point of contention ever since October, when fans’ groups across Europe pointed out that there were hardly any tickets left at this price when the overseas sales window opened. The resulting furore forced FIFA to release more tickets at this price point in December.

But FIFA has not made any further concessions on its ticket prices or policies for this World Cup. In fact, it has repeatedly said that prices reflect the local market.

FIFA’s argument is that American consumers are used to paying large sums for premium sport, just as they are used to dynamic pricing, where the price of tickets can rise or fall depending on demand. It has also pointed out that resale sites are legal and widely used in the U.S., so FIFA would be missing out on huge sums if it left the resale market completely to third parties.

“For several months now, we have urged FIFA to do right by fans and reconsider its aggressive and exploitative ticketing policies,” said FSE executive director Ronan Evain in a press release to announce the complaint.

“FIFA’s failure to engage in meaningful consultation with stakeholders yet again has left us with no option but to join forces with Euroconsumers in filing this complaint with the European Commission. FIFA point to their unconfirmed sales figures as validation of their unfair ticket practices, while the reality is they leave loyal fans with no other choice — pay up or lose out.”

Evain’s “sales figure” comment is a reference to FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s repeated claims that the official website has received more than 500 million requests for tickets.

“Football is a universal passion but FIFA is treating it like a private luxury by exploiting its absolute monopoly over World Cup ticketing,” said Marco Scialdone, head of litigation at Euroconsumers.

“We are calling on the European Commission to intervene immediately with interim measures to halt these exploitative practices before the 2026 tournament begins.”

The complaint calls on Brussels to stop the use of dynamic pricing for World Cup tickets sold to fans in the European Economic Area, which does not include the United Kingdom following Brexit, and to freeze prices for the upcoming April sales phase. It also wants FIFA to publish how many tickets are left in each of the four price categories and where those seats are in each stadium.

In a statement released to The Athletic, a FIFA spokesperson said it “has been made aware of statements concerning an apparent complaint” but could not comment further as it had not “formally received” the complaint.

However, the spokesperson added: “FIFA is focused on ensuring fair access to our game for existing and prospective fans. As a not-for-profit organisation, the revenue FIFA generates from the World Cup is reinvested to fuel the growth of the game — men, women, youth — throughout FIFA’s 211 member associations globally.”

The 23rd edition of the World Cup starts in Mexico City on June 11, when Mexico play South Africa.