FIFA says more than five million ticket requests were submitted within 72 hours of the latest sales phase opening for the 2026 World Cup, despite widespread criticism of ticket prices.
The world football governing body opened the new ticketing window on Thursday, revealing that the cheapest ticket for the final is priced at £3,119—around seven times higher than the equivalent cost at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Even so, demand has surged, with fans from more than 200 countries registering interest.
The most sought-after fixture so far is the group-stage match between Colombia and Portugal, scheduled for 27 June in Miami.
Other high-demand games include Brazil vs Morocco (New Jersey, 13 June), Mexico vs South Korea (Guadalajara, 18 June), Ecuador vs Germany (New Jersey, 25 June), and Scotland vs Brazil (Miami, 24 June).
The largest volume of requests has come from the three host nations—the United States, Canada and Mexico—followed by Colombia, England, Ecuador, Brazil, Argentina, Scotland, Germany, Australia, France and Panama.
Set to run from 11 June to 19 July, the 2026 World Cup will feature 48 teams for the first time, making it the biggest and potentially most lucrative edition in the tournament’s history.
However, its pricing structure has sparked strong opposition from supporters’ groups.
The Football Supporters’ Association (FSA) has described the prices as “scandalous”, noting that they are up to three times higher than those for Qatar 2022.
Group-stage tickets in 2022 were priced at £68.50, £164.50 and £219, while comparable high-demand fixtures in 2026 such as England vs Croatia and Scotland vs Brazil are listed between £198 and £523.
Costs escalated further in the knockout rounds, with quarter-final tickets priced at £507, £757 and £1,073, semi-final tickets at £686, £1,819 and £2,363, and the final reaching £3,119.
The FSA has now joined Football Supporters Europe (FSE) in calling for an immediate halt to ticket sales to allow talks with FIFA over its pricing policy.
“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,” the FSA said in a statement.
FIFA has yet to respond publicly to the criticism.
