A group of soccer enthusiasts has filed a formal complaint with the European Commission against FIFA concerning the high ticket prices for the World Cup.
Football Supporters Europe (FSE) announced on Tuesday that it has partnered with consumer advocacy organization Euroconsumers to allege that FIFA has exploited its dominant position to set exorbitant prices.
In December, FSE accused FIFA of a “monumental betrayal” when tickets were released for general sale, priced from $140 for the least expensive group matches to $8,680 for the final. Tickets for the final began at $4,185, but all prices are susceptible to modification as FIFA is using dynamic pricing for the first time in the World Cup co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
“As the sole entity controlling ticket sales for the 2026 World Cup, FIFA has taken advantage of this power to impose terms on fans that would be unacceptable in a competitive market,” FSE and Euroconsumers declared in a joint statement.
In response to fan outrage in December, FIFA reduced some ticket prices to $60 for all rounds leading up to the final, which teams could allocate to their most dedicated fans, although this only represented 10% of a team’s total ticket allotment per match.
In addition to the steep prices, FSE highlighted that FIFA employed pressure selling tactics and criticized the lack of transparency in the ticketing process.
The organizations are calling for prices to be stabilized in the upcoming sales round scheduled for April and for the cessation of dynamic pricing for fans in Europe.
“Dynamic pricing transforms fans’ loyalty into a bidding war, increases costs without any added value, and shuts out many supporters,” remarked Els Bruggeman, head of policy and enforcement at Euroconsumers.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino stated in January that ticket demand was equivalent to “1,000 years of World Cups at once,” predicting that all 104 matches would be sold out, which implies that resale prices may significantly exceed original prices.
FSE also criticized FIFA’s official resale platform, noting that it has seen tickets listed at prices far above their original value, with FIFA taking a 30% commission from each sale.
“FIFA points to their unverified sales numbers to justify their unfair ticketing practices, while the truth is they are forcing loyal fans into a corner—pay the inflated prices or miss out altogether,” said Ronan Evain, executive director of FSE.
FIFA has informed the Associated Press that it has not yet received the complaint officially, adding that, as a non-profit organization, it reinvests World Cup revenues back into the development of soccer.
The Associated Press and PA contributed to this report.