It started with price lists quietly circulating on Thursday, then it blew up fast.
Fans saw figures for national association allocations, the tickets meant for the most loyal supporters, and the numbers looked like a gut punch.
A list published by the German football federation showed group stage prices ranging from $180 to $700, then the final jumping to $4,185 at the low end and $8,680 at the top.
Those were not resale listings. This was the official allocation channel national associations use.
FIFA allocates 8% of tickets to national associations for matches involving their team. That pool is supposed to be the supporter route.
And that is exactly why the backlash landed where it did.
Football Supporters Europe went straight for FIFA’s throat.
It called the prices “extortionate.”
Then came the line fans keep reposting, “This is a monumental betrayal of the tradition of the World Cup, ignoring the contribution of supporters to the spectacle it is.”
FSE urged FIFA to “immediately halt” sales through national associations and review the pricing and category setup.
The anger sharpened in England once the FA shared pricing details with the England Supporters Travel Club.
The estimate was brutal, just over $7,000 to buy a ticket for every England match through to the final via that allocation route.
The England Fans’ Embassy, linked to the Football Supporters’ Association, called the policy “laughable.”
In a post on X, it went harder, “These prices are a slap in the face to supporters who support their team outside of the flagship tournament that appears every four years.”
It also targeted the branding, saying calling the cheapest available tickets “Supporter Value Category 3” at $7,020 to follow England start to finish “is laughable.”
Sky Sports laid out the kind of ranges that triggered the fury, with England group games starting in the hundreds, then climbing as the rounds tighten.
For England’s projected path, Sky listed the final for ESTC members at roughly £3,129 to £6,489, depending on category.
Scotland’s supporters groups were also given pricing information through their own association allocation, with group matches in the hundreds of dollars, then the same steep ladder toward later rounds.
Fans did not need a lecture to see what this structure does.
National associations get a limited slice, corporate partners sit in another lane, and ordinary supporters get pushed into higher “supporter” categories while the cheapest tiers feel out of reach.
Then FIFA opened the next gate anyway.
FIFA launched its third phase of widespread ticket sales on Dec. 11, letting fans apply for specific matches through a “Random Selection Draw.”
The window runs until Jan. 13, 2026, and FIFA says timing inside that window does not change your odds.
Applicants can choose matches, ticket categories and quantities, and they get charged automatically if their application hits.
Despite the outcry, FIFA said demand hit hard immediately.
Reuters reported FIFA received five million ticket requests in the first 24 hours of the latest sales phase, with applicants from more than 200 countries and territories.
The early rush was driven by high profile group stage clashes, with Colombia v Portugal in Miami listed by Reuters as the most sought-after match so far in that phase.
FIFA’s message was basically, the noise is loud, the queue is louder.
The prices themselves are now tangled up with another flashpoint, dynamic pricing.
Sky News reported FIFA backed away from using dynamic pricing for all 2026 World Cup tickets after concerns about affordability.
FIFA told Sky it was setting aside “ringfenced allocations” at a fixed price for “specific fan categories,” including tickets reserved for supporters of participating member associations, listed as 8% per match.
But FIFA also defended the broader model, saying, “The pricing model adopted for FIFA World Cup 26 reflects the existing market practice for major entertainment and sporting events within our hosts on a daily basis, soccer included.”
Meanwhile, FIFA has publicly pointed to a wide price range on its own platform.
Sky News cited FIFA saying the cheapest tickets are from $60 for group stage matches, with the most expensive tickets for the final listed at $6,730.
AP reported FIFA had said tickets released through its website would initially range from $60 for group stage matches to $6,730 for the final, while also noting those prices are subject to change under the dynamic pricing approach.
And then there is the reality check fans keep throwing back.
AP reported final tickets at MetLife Stadium on July 19 were already being listed for more than $11,000 on secondary resale sites.
AP also reported FIFA has its own resale platform and charges a 15% fee based on the total resale price.
So while fan groups demand a halt, the machine keeps moving.
Applications stay open through mid-January, with successful applicants notified later and charged automatically.