Before the Football World Cup 2026, a new problem has arisen for FIFA, fans are trolling fiercely regarding the ticket price.

New Delhi: FIFA World Cup 2026 will be played from June to July. This will happen for the first time in three countries like America, Canada and Mexico. 48 teams will participate in this, which is the biggest tournament so far.

Earlier there were only 32 teams in the 2022 Qatar World Cup. FIFA gave the reason for increasing the number of teams that with this the football craze will reach more countries of the world. However, FIFA has shot itself in the foot by making a mistake.

Huge jump in ticket prices

Fans expected that with more teams and more matches (total 104 matches) the tickets would become cheaper, but when ticket sales started from December 2025, the prices increased significantly. Compared to the 2022 Qatar World Cup, the ticket price has become many times more expensive.

The cheapest tickets for normal group stage matches now start at $200, compared to $11–70 in Qatar. Tickets for the final went from $2000 to $8680. Fans may have to spend thousands of dollars to follow the entire team, due to which they are expressing their displeasure.

Fans’ anger and allegations of ‘looting’

European football supporters groups such as Football Supporters Europe called it a ‘monumental betrayal’ and ‘extortionate’. He has demanded to stop ticket sales. Fans say the original bid promised cheap tickets (starting at $21), but now the prices have increased 5-10 times. FIFA accused of ‘looting’.

FIFA’s response and supporter tier

Following the backlash, FIFA introduced a new ‘supporter entry tier’ in December 2025. Some tickets, priced at $60 per match, will be available to fans of qualified teams, but these are in very small numbers (only 10% of the allocation per team).

FIFA says the revenue will help promote football in less developed countries, but the revenue from tickets is small compared to the revenue from TV rights.

Difficulty in travel in three countries

The World Cup is spread across three different countries. Fans will have to travel to different cities and countries to watch their team’s matches. Due to this, hotel, travel and expenses will increase a lot. Many fans may consider it expensive and avoid watching the match.

This may reduce the number of spectators in the stadium and affect FIFA’s earnings. FIFA’s decision of 48 teams was good, but due to expensive tickets and travel, it may prove costly for itself.