Football supporters have filed a lawsuit against world football governing body FIFA over what they describe as excessive ticket prices for the 2026 World Cup.
The complaint was lodged on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, with the European Commission by Football Supporters Europe (FSE) and the Euroconsumers group. The organisations accused FIFA of abusing its monopoly over ticket sales and imposing unfair pricing and purchasing conditions on fans.
In a statement, the groups alleged that FIFA’s control of ticket distribution has led to inflated prices and a lack of transparency in the sales process.
“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 statement read.
The groups highlighted a sharp increase in ticket prices compared to previous tournaments. According to them, the cheapest available tickets for the final currently start at $4,185—more than seven times higher than the lowest-priced ticket for the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar.
They also noted that the cheapest tickets for the UEFA Euro 2024 final were priced at just €95 ($100), while FIFA’s own projections had estimated an average ticket price of $1,408 for the 2026 tournament.
The expanded 2026 World Cup, set to be held from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, will feature 48 teams and a total of 104 matches. FIFA has made nearly seven million tickets available, with each person allowed to purchase up to four tickets per match and a maximum of 40 tickets overall.
Despite earlier promises that tickets could start from as low as $21, the groups said the cheapest tickets currently available are around $60, and even those are limited. Most tickets for matches involving top teams are priced at $200 or more.
The controversy has been further fuelled by the use of “dynamic pricing,” which allows ticket prices to rise or fall based on demand. FIFA President Gianni Infantino defended the system, stating that such pricing reflects market demand, particularly in the United States.
However, FSE criticised the model, arguing that it lacks transparency and has no cap on how high prices can go. They noted that some tickets increased by as much as 25 percent between sales phases, leaving fans uncertain about final costs before purchase.
On FIFA’s official resale platform, some tickets for the final have been listed at extremely high prices. One category three seat for the match at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey was advertised for as much as $143,750—over 40 times its original face value of $3,450.
Although FIFA has introduced a limited number of lower-priced tickets at $60, these are reserved for fans of qualified teams and account for only a small portion of available seats.
The governing body has also announced plans to release additional tickets from April on a first-come, first-served basis. Meanwhile, resale markets—particularly in the United States and Canada, where regulation is limited—continue to drive up prices.
The lawsuit adds to growing criticism of ticket pricing ahead of what is expected to be the largest World Cup in history.
