A European football supporters’ body has taken legal action against FIFA, accusing it of exploiting its control over ticket sales to inflate prices for the 2026 World Cup.
The complaint, filed on Tuesday with the European Commission by Football Supporters Europe (FSE) alongside Euroconsumers, alleges that football’s global governing body has imposed excessive costs and unfair purchasing conditions on fans.
“Euroconsumers and Football Supporters Europe (FSE) have filed a formal complaint with the European Commission against FIFA, alleging that the football body has abused its monopoly position to impose excessive ticket prices and opaque and unfair purchasing conditions and processes on European fans ahead of the 2026 World Cup,” the FSE said in a statement.
The group further argued that FIFA’s exclusive control over ticket distribution has eliminated competition, leaving supporters with little choice but to accept steep prices.
“FIFA holds a monopoly over ticket sales for the 2026 World Cup and has used that power to impose conditions on fans that would never be acceptable in a competitive market,” the group added.
According to FSE, the cost of attending the tournament—scheduled from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Canada, and Mexico—has risen sharply compared to previous editions.
The cheapest tickets for the final are currently priced at $4,185, a figure the group says is more than seven times higher than the lowest-priced ticket for the 2022 final in Qatar.
By comparison, the least expensive tickets for the UEFA Euro 2024 final were around €95 ($100).
FIFA had earlier projected an average ticket price of $1,408 in its bid documents, but FSE claims that actual prices have significantly exceeded that estimate.
Nearly seven million tickets have been released for the tournament, with buyers allowed to purchase up to four per match and a maximum of 40 across all games.
The 2026 edition will feature 48 teams competing in 104 matches—the largest format in World Cup history—driving demand, especially for high-profile fixtures where prices have surged beyond $200.
FSE also pointed to discrepancies between early promises and actual sales. While initial bids suggested tickets could start from as low as $21, the cheapest available seats have been priced at $60, such as for the Group J opener between Austria and Jordan at Levi’s Stadium.
On the resale market, prices have climbed even higher. A Category 3 ticket for the final at MetLife Stadium was listed at $143,750—more than 41 times its original face value of $3,450.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has defended the pricing system, attributing it to market demand.
“In the US in particular, there is this thing called dynamic pricing, meaning the prices will go up or down”, depending on the match in question,” Infantino has said.
However, FSE insists that the lack of limits on such pricing mechanisms leaves fans exposed to unpredictable and often unaffordable costs.
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“FIFA used ‘variable pricing,’ or dynamic pricing, with no cap and no transparency on how prices are set,” it said in the statement.
“Some tickets rose 25% between sales phases. Fans had no clear way of knowing the final price before joining the queue.”
In response to mounting criticism, FIFA introduced a lower-cost ticket category priced at $60. However, these tickets are restricted to supporters of qualified teams and account for only 10 percent of each national federation’s allocation.
“FIFA repeatedly advertised $60 group-stage tickets,” FSE said.
“In practice, they were so scarce that the entire Category 4 inventory was practically sold out before general public sales opened.”
FIFA has indicated that additional tickets will be released from April through to the end of the tournament on a first-come, first-served basis.
Meanwhile, resale platforms—including FIFA’s official portal—allow ticket holders to set their own prices, contributing to the surge in costs.
Resale regulations also vary across host countries. While the United States and Canada have largely unregulated secondary markets, Mexico prohibits reselling above face value—but only for tickets originally purchased within the country and in local currency.