โฝ๏ธ Wednesdayite ๐ฆ- part time๐& ๐ดโโ๏ธ, full time wanderluster. Husband & dad of 3 ๐๐๐ฉท - @sheffielduni alumnus - MRICS working in housing development / regen
Football Supporters' Association statement on World Cup prices:
The prices set for the 2026 World Cup are scandalous, a step too far for many supporters who passionately and loyally follow their national sides at home and abroad.
Everything we feared about the direction in which FIFA wants to take the game was confirmed - Gianni Infantino only sees supporter loyalty as something to be exploited for profit.
Prices for England's matches have been set as some of the highest, priced at $7020 if you want to follow the team from start through to the final.
If you are "lucky" enough to reserve the cheapest ticket for the final you'll need to hand over $4185, approximately ยฃ3200 - that's ยฃ35 per minute of the game.
FIFA call this the โSupporter Valueโ category - that's a laughable insult to your average fan.
Supporters are expected to hand over all of this money in February to FIFA, who will keep it in their bank account to accrue interest. If England are knocked out before the final they'll then return it, minus an admin fee of course. They are beyond shameless.
This is a tournament that is supposed to be celebrated by the world, where fans of all nations come together for the love of football. FIFA have decided to make it all about the money and the elite who can afford it.
For FIFA, loyalty is not the hard-working fan travelling thousands of miles in support of their team at qualifiers around the continent. A game that should be for all is now only for those who can afford it.
ACTION NEEDED
We back Football Supporters Europe in calling for a halt in ticket sales and we are calling on the Football Association to work with fellow FAs to directly challenge these disgraceful prices.
We call on all national associations to stand up for your supporters, without whom there would be no professional game.
The most loyal fans feel they have been stabbed in the back. Those same fans, their passion, their colours, their noise will be missing in America, Mexico and Canada, unless significant price reductions are introduced.
Supporters who have looked forward to this tournament for years, supporters who have been to multiple World Cups, supporters who were excited about this being their first tournament will all be missing as it will be unaffordable.
Who needs to follow England away for disappointment when FIFA can deliver that six months before a ball is kicked? The life has been sucked out of this tournament before it starts.
We have been concerned about pricing for participating nations for months now and have been raising these concerns with Football Supporters Europe and our FA. The early trends were worrying and it is devastating to see those concerns turn reality with the release of Englandโs prices for the World Cup.
ESTC members have followed England loyally throughout this campaign, from Barcelona to Belgrade, Riga to Tirana, multiple midweek trips to Wembley, as well as the caps built from the Euro 2024 campaign, all to back the team to make the World Cup.
These prices are a slap in the face to supporters who support their team outside of the flagship tournament that appears every four years.
To call the Category 3 tickets, the cheapest available to ESTC members, โSupporter Value Category 3โ that comes at a cost of $7020 if you want to follow England from start to finish, is laughable.
A game for supporters, loyalty has been thrown out of the window and supporters of the participating nations have been completely let down.
@WTIDPOD This is a no brainer. We need a centre back for sure but we need to keep hold of Gassama even more. Need to tie him down soon or we'll lose him and he'll go on to play higher
@YesWeCrann First paragraph - absolutely - but don't agree 'the gap was clear to see' in the game. Not a bitter comment in defeat but (to be completely honest) I was genuinely quite surprised how we more than competed and can be considered unlucky to not come away with a draw, for sure.
@Danfudge@MabelsTavern That used to work for me too (highlight being the 3-0 league cup game against Arsenal under Carlos)... until I watched the Forest Green match their last season. ๐คฆโโ๏ธ
@Reverend_Makers What a muppet. And where is Keown getting the 36k first game of season against Leeds from?! We played Southampton... Both should stick to talking about the 'big six' as they know nothing about below the Prem.
Thank you for your incredible support throughout our time in the 3rd tier of English football which was partially due to my mis management of the finances and a points deduction.
As a thank you I'm going to charge you ยฃ60 for sheffield Wednesday v Leeds at home.