FIFA strike back in the PR war over “rip off” World Cup | OneFootball

FIFA is usually an organisation that keeps its power dry. Taking the age-old political mantra “never explain, never complain” to its extreme, it rarely gets involved even when the media guns are pointed squarely in its direction.

But has the barrage of bad headlines day after day, from allegations of ripping off fans with ticket prices to cozying up to Donald Trump, not to mention exorbitant travel to hotel costs, forced it into a rearguard action? Recently it has come out swinging in the face of widespread criticism, taking a pop at host cities’ plans to jack up public transport costs to and from games.

As discussed in the “Is this the great rip-off World Cup?” – latest episode of The Road to World Cup 26 podcast, part of the Hooligan Sports stable – it all started last week after reports were published that tailgating – the popular American sports fans’ practice of eating picnics and BBQs from the backs of vehicles in stadium parking lots ahead of NFL (and other sports games) – was being banned.

FIFA unfairly blamed?

The blame was being laid squarely at FIFA’s door.

Already in the middle of a PR storm of criticism after tickets for the final went on sale a few days’ earlier at the astronomical price of $10,990, the latest story it seems was, for someone in the organisation, the final straw.

And for the first time since this World Cup campaign got underway with criticism of Donald Trump being given a peace award, it came out fighting.

“FIFA does not have a formal policy that restricts tailgating (eating and drinking around parked cars in stadium areas). However, site-specific restrictions may be imposed in alignment with host city public safety authorities in certain venues based on local regulations,” it wrote on X in response to various publications’ stories.

Train ticket price hike

More was to come. A couple of days later, it emerged that match goers would be forced to pay $150 to travel the 18 roundtrip miles from New York City’s Penn Station to the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey to attend World Cup games this summer. This is a staggering increase on a journey that normally costs $12.90, and there was no discount for children, disabled persons or the elderly.

Likewise train tickets from Boston to the Gillette Stadium are going to jump from $20 to $80. This is compared to free transport for ticketholders at the previous World Cups in Qatar in 2022 and Russia in 2018.

Mikie Sherrill, the New Jersey Governor, blamed FIFA for the price hikes, saying it should subsidise the cost of public transport and the associated extra journeys and security bills during the competition. Saying she would not leave local residents to pick up the tab, presumably via increased taxes, she argued that those using the service should pay for it.

“Chilling effect”

Again, FIFA suddenly had something to say. “The NJ Transit current pricing model will have a chilling effect,” said Heimo Schirgi, the World Cup’s Chief Operating Officer.

Schirgi said FIFA’s intention at World Cups is “to minimise congestion, reduce reliance on private vehicles, and ensure the fan experience is positive and memorable defined by the action on pitch, not delays on the roads”.

He said: “Elevated fares inevitably push fans towards alternative transportation options. This increases concerns of congestion, late arrivals, and creates broader ripple effects that ultimately diminish the economic benefit and lasting legacy the entire region stands to gain from hosting the World Cup.”

His comments set FIFA on a direct collision course with the authorities in New Jersey and Boston, who are now under pressure to relent on the price hikes. Other host cities are keeping prices low. Philadelphia is charging $2.90 to get to the Lincoln Financial Field on the Broad Street Line, and providing free travel to fans leaving after the game.

Shift in PR strategy?

So what are we seeing from FIFA? A deliberate shift in PR strategy in the face of relentless criticism from pretty much every angle? Or a one off, toys-out-of-the-pram moment in the heat of battle?

In some way they are stuck between a rock and a hard place. A populist stance to try to get supporters onside will alienate host cities at a time when, with less than two months until the start of the competition, is not ideal.

Stay silent, as FIFA traditionally does, and accusations of greed and fleecing supporters will go unchallenged. And in the world of PR, perception is reality where unchecked allegations will eventually be taken as fact.

A no-win or a lose less? It will be interesting to see what happens when, inevitably, the next bad news story hits the media.