A fan group says “alarm bells should be ringing at Fifa” over the fact England supporters have not taken up their full ticket allocation for next summer’s World Cup final and semi-final.
So far the number of allocated tickets to members of the England Supporters Travel Club (ESTC) exceeds the number of applications received, meaning everyone who has applied for a ticket to the final and semi-final is guaranteed one.
The pricing structure for the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico has been widely criticised, with about 90% of tickets for the final made available to ESTC members costing £3,094.
That led to Fifa introducing a limited number of tickets at £45, but the Football Supporters’ Association’s Fans’ Embassy says England fans not taking up their allocation should be a concern.
“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 group said in a statement.
“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.”
Fifa has been criticised for group stage tickets for next year’s World Cup costing up to three times those for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Earlier this week Fifa president Gianni Infantino defended the prices, saying they reflect the public’s “absolutely crazy” demand for tickets.
“We have six to seven million tickets on sale and in 15 days we received 150 million ticket requests,” Infantino said.
“So 10 million ticket requests every single day. It shows how powerful the World Cup is.”
