World Cup organisers on Tuesday, December 16, announced the introduction of a cheaper ticket category for the 2026 tournament following sustained criticism over high prices for the competition set to be hosted in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
In a statement, FIFA confirmed it had created “Supporter Entry Tier tickets set at 60 US dollars each and available for all 104 matches, including the final”.
The world football governing body said the initiative was “designed to further support travelling fans following their national teams across the tournament”.
According to FIFA, the 60 dollar tickets will be reserved exclusively for supporters of qualified teams and will make up 10 percent of each national football federation’s ticket allocation.
The move follows growing pressure from fan groups, with Football Supporters Europe last week describing ticket prices for the 2026 World Cup as “extortionate” and “astronomical”.
FSE said current ticket costs were almost five times higher than prices at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The group added that “if a supporter were to follow their team from the first match to the final it would cost them a minimum of $6,900”.
The supporters’ body also recalled that World Cup organisers had earlier promised tickets starting from 21 dollars in a bid document released in 2018.
In announcing the new pricing tier, FIFA said national football federations “are requested to ensure that these tickets are specifically allocated to loyal fans who are closely connected to their national teams”.
FIFA further confirmed that supporters who buy tickets for knockout matches but whose teams are eliminated before those games “will have the administrative fee waived when refunds are processed”.
The organisation noted that the decision comes “amid extraordinary global demand for tickets”, revealing that about 20 million ticket requests have already been submitted.
FIFA also announced that the draw for tickets across all price categories in the first phase of sales will take place on Tuesday, January 13.
