‘Alarm bells should be ringing’ at Fifa as England fans snub World Cup ticket prices | OneFootball

The England Supporters Travel Club (ESTC) has revealed that its allocation for World Cup matches from the quarter-finals to the final is currently undersubscribed as fans face record costs to attend next summer’s tournament.

The majority of Participating Member Associations (PMA) tickets are up to five times more expensive than the last World Cup in Qatar, with prices rising sharply from the quarter-final stage onwards.

While Fifa subsequently introduced fixed tickets for every match at just £44.70 ($60), they cover just 10 per cent of the fan allocations. Meanwhile, around 90 per cent of the PMA tickets will start at £3,117 for the World Cup final, alongside at least £685 for the semi-final and £506 for the quarter-finals.

The ESTC has issued guidance notifying England’s most loyal supporters that its allocation for all three group-stage matches and England’s round-of-16 match, if they get there, is oversubscribed, which will lead to a ballot process.

But any members who have applied for a ticket for the quarter-finals onwards, in the hope of England reaching the latter stages of the tournament, would be guaranteed a seat as things stand.

England would receive an allocation of 3,500 tickets for the quarter-finals and semi-finals, rising to 4,500 tickets for the final, of which just 600 would fall under the affordable “supporter entry” price range.

And the Free Lions supporters group, the Football Supporters' Association's Fans' Embassy, said “alarm bells should be ringing” at Fifa over the fact that England’s allocation for the final is currently undersubscribed ahead of the application window closing on 13 January.

“Whilst unsurprisingly the group games are oversubscribed, as well as the possible glamour tie in Mexico City in the round of 16, the numbers for the semi-final and final speak for themselves,” the Free Lions said on X.

“England fans will gamble on getting a $60 ticket, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a huge drop in numbers if members don’t get their hands on one of them.

“The football mentality is if tickets sell, there isn’t a problem, we see this all the time. But the numbers are reflective of a fan base that has been priced out, and some of the most loyal supporters of the international game feel completely let down.

“Alarm bells should be ringing whenever participating member allocations, meant for the most loyal fans, are not sold out for any game at a World Cup.

“This is especially concerning when the allocations for games are so low, and England have a membership of over 30,000. This isn’t acceptable.”