A formal complaint regarding 2026 World Cup tickets has been filed by Football Supporters Europe (FSE) and Euroconsumers against FIFA at the European Commission. The organizations accuse world football’s governing body of abusing its dominant market position through exorbitant prices and non-transparent sales practices.
According to the groups, FIFA is exploiting a lack of competition to impose conditions on fans that would be impossible in a free market.
Sevenfold Price Increase and Hidden Fees
The complaint details six specific violations by FIFA. A primary grievance is the pricing structure: the cheapest tickets for the 2026 World Cup final are currently priced at $4,185 (approximately €3,609). This is more than seven times the cost of equivalent tickets for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The authors of the complaint also highlighted issues with budget tickets. While FIFA advertised $60 tickets for group stage matches, these reportedly became unavailable to regular fans and disappeared before the start of mass sales. Additionally, fans are protesting FIFA’s resale policy, which includes a 15% commission on every secondary market transaction.
Fan Demands
FSE, which has sought dialogue with the federation since December, is now calling on the European Commission to implement strict antitrust measures. Their primary demands include:
- A total ban on dynamic pricing systems.
- A price freeze for the April sales phase at December 2025 levels.
- The mandatory disclosure of the exact number of remaining tickets in each category at least 48 hours before sales begin.
Fans are also demanding an end to “blind” purchases. Under current conditions, supporters often pay high prices without a guarantee of their specific stadium location or knowing which teams will be playing.
“104 Super Bowls”: FIFA’s Position
FIFA has not yet commented on the official complaint to the European Commission, though the organization’s leadership has previously defended its sales figures.
In mid-February, FIFA President Gianni Infantino reported unprecedented demand following the second sales phase. He stated that the organizers received 508 million requests from over 200 countries for only 7 million available tickets. Infantino compared the tournament to the NFL championship, stating the upcoming event is “like having 104 Super Bowls in one month.” The FIFA head indicated that this high demand dictates the current price levels.