Worldwide football fans have condemned FIFA to a “colossal betrayal” due to the outrageous ticket prices for the 2026 World Cup

FIFA divides out 8% of all the World Cup tickets for each country, to give back to their fans for their team matches.
German Football Association released ticket prices to be between $180 & $700 (€153-€595) for some Group Stage Matches. In addition, the lowest ticket price for the Final was $4,185 (€3,561) and the highest ticket price was $8,680 (€7,387).
Group Stage ticket prices vary greatly compared to what FIFA has been saying will be an affordable ticket price of $60 (€51), with US soccer officials stating they wanted to make available over 300,000 seats for the first round of World Cup games for just $21 (€17).
Organizational leader of Football Supporters Europe (FSE) stated the current ticket prices are “extortionate”.
”The decision by FIFA represents a massive betrayal of the traditional values of the World Cup and ignores the contribution made by the fans to the World Cup showpiece,” FSE states.


FIFA President Gianni Infantino – nyt.com

Just one month ago, FIFA released information that the ticket prices for the World Cup would be between $60 (€51) for Group Stage Games to $6,730 (€5,727) for the Final. However, these ticket prices could be changed, because FIFA will also use Dynamic Pricing for the first time at a World Cup.
There are four different types of tickets that are being sold by FIFA for the World Cup. There are the best seats available in Category 1. There are only three different price categories in the German Federation’s price list.
The least expensive ticket was $180 (€153) for Germany’s first Group Stage Match against Curaçao in Houston. The least expensive ticket for a Semifinal was $920 (€783), and the most expensive ticket was $1,125 (€957).
The Football Association is urging FIFA to immediately cease and desist selling World Cup tickets to National Associations “until such time as a solution can be reached to respect the traditional values, universality and cultural significance of the World Cup.”


Third Phase of General Sales

Thursday, FIFA launched the third phase of general World Cup ticket sales, and now fans will be able to apply for tickets to a specific match for the first time by using a “Random Selection Draw.” 
After the Tournament Schedule was released last week, which will take place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico in 2026, the schedule was updated. This means fans now know when and where Lionel Messi and Argentina will play. Fans previously received tickets randomly, since the qualification period had not yet concluded and the tournament draw had not yet occurred.
National Teams are currently grouped together and their path to the World Cup is determined based on the tournament draw. Unfortunately, however, fans do not have assurance of receiving tickets to the matches they have applied for. Applications for participation in the raffle began on December 11th and will end on January 13th.


Schedule of matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Washington – deadline.com

According to FIFA, fan applications can be entered at any point during this window, and the timing of the application does not impact the chance of success. Fans can purchase up to four tickets per family member, but no more than 40 tickets for the entire tournament.
Fans will need to obtain a FIFA ID prior to applying for tickets and select which matches and in which price category they wish to apply for. There are four categories available; the best seats in Category 1, and Category 4 seats at the upper levels of the stadium.
If an applicant receives approval for tickets, they will receive an email notification in February. After that, the payment will be automatically deducted.