Ogden: Ronaldo will love the chance to shine in Messi’s Miami (0:57)
Mark Ogden explains why Colombia vs. Portugal could be Cristiano Ronaldo’s chance to «steal the stage» over Lionel Messi in Miami. (0:57)
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ESPN News Services
Dec 16, 2025, 01:11 PM ET
FIFA slashed the price of some World Cup tickets for teams’ most loyal fans following a global backlash and some will get $60 seats for the final, instead of being asked to pay $4,185.
FIFA said Tuesday that $60 tickets will be made available for every game at the tournament in North America, going to the national federations whose teams are playing. Those federations decide how to distribute them to loyal fans who have attended previous games at home and on the road.
The number of $60 tickets for each game is likely to be in the hundreds, rather than thousands, in what FIFA is now calling a «Supporter Entry Tier» price category.
FIFA did not specify exactly why it so dramatically changed strategy but said the lower prices are «designed to further support travelling fans following their national teams across the tournament.»
The World Cup in North America will be the first edition that features 48 teams — up from 32 — and is expected to earn FIFA at least $10 billion in revenue. But fans worldwide reacted with shock and anger last week on seeing FIFA’s ticketing plans that gave participating teams no tickets in the lowest-priced category.
The cheapest prices ranged from $120 to $265 for group-stage games that did not involve co-hosts the United States, Canada and Mexico. The English Football Association shared pricing information with the England Supporters Travel Club (ESTC), which showed that if a fan bought a ticket for every game through to the final it would cost just over $7,000.
The target from United States soccer officials when bidding for the tournament seven years ago was to offer hundreds of thousands of $21 seats across the opening phase of games. The last time the U.S. hosted the World Cup in 1994, prices ranged from $25 to $475. In Qatar in 2022, prices ranged from around $70 to $1,600 when ticket details were announced.
Criticism from fans, especially in Europe, had been increasing for several months over plans for «dynamic pricing» plus extra fees on a FIFA-run resale platform — both features which are common in the U.S. entertainment industry but not to soccer fans worldwide.
Fan organization Football Supporters Europe (FSE) welcomed FIFA’s move Tuesday, but said «the revisions do not go far enough to reconcile» and pointed to the absence of a pricing structure for disabled fans or complementary companion tickets.
A statement added: «For the moment we are looking at the FIFA announcement as nothing more than an appeasement tactic due to the global negative backlash.
«We call upon FIFA to engage in a proper dialogue to arrive at a solution that respects the contribution of fans and the dignity of fans with disabilities.»
FIFA allocates 8% of tickets to national associations for games involving their team to sell to the most loyal fans, with the governing body saying Tuesday that 10% of those will be priced at $60.
For the final, around 450 of the 4,500 tickets would be available at that discounted price.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has urged FIFA to go further.
«I welcome FIFA’s announcement of some lower priced supporters tickets,» he posted on X. «But as someone who used to save up for England tickets, I encourage FIFA to do more to make tickets more affordable so that the World Cup doesn’t lose touch with the genuine supporters who make the game so special.»
A FIFA official close to the discussions told PA that the organization had «listened to feedback and this new category is the right thing to do.»
FIFA noted that it «reinvests the revenue it generates from the FIFA World Cup to fuel the growth of men’s, women’s and youth football throughout the 211 FIFA Member Associations.»
There have been 20 million ticket requests since the third phase of ticket sales began last Friday, FIFA said. The «random selection draw» phase, which allows fans to request tickets for specific matchups for the first time, runs through Jan. 13, 2026, with successful applicants set to be notified by email in February and charged automatically.
In another climbdown Tuesday, FIFA said it would waive its administrative fees when refunds are made after the July 19 final.
Information from The Associated Press and PA was used in this report.
