Irish fans bracing for 'exorbitant' World Cup ticket prices should they get through play-offs

STEEP COSTS: Ireland fans at te 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifier at the Puskás Aréna, Budapest between Hungary and the Republic of Ireland Ireland last month. Pic: INPHO/Ryan Byrne

Irish fans are bracing themselves for “exorbitant” World Cup ticket prices next summer if Heimir Hallgrímsson guides his team through the March playoffs.

So extreme has been the early pricing that Fifa has been urged to halt sales by Football Supporters Europe (FSE).

Should Ireland emerge through the playoffs – against Czechia on March 26 in the semi, followed by a final against either Denmark or North Macedonia – their three groups matches at the 48-nation showpiece will be held from June 11-24.

Up first is South Korea in Zapopan, Guadalajara, Mexico followed by South Africa in Atlanta on June 18. They complete Group A against co-hosts Mexico in Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, on June 24th.

Several qualifiers on Thursday notified fans of the pricing structure, prompting a backlash across Europe.

England fans discovered that tickets to follow their team through the tournament could end up costing more than £6,000 (€6,800).

The Croatian federation published details of prices in its participant member association (PMA) allocation, which is designed to be made available to fans who attend the most matches, with tickets at fixed rather than dynamic prices.

However, the Croatian FA listed the cheapest tickets for the final on July 19 as costing 4,185 US dollars (€3,559) each.

It said based on the information it so far had available, fans faced paying €6,900 to attend every match from the first game to the final via the PMA allocation - five times more than they would have paid to do so at the last finals in Qatar.

"Football Supporters Europe is astonished by the extortionate ticket prices imposed by FIFA on the most dedicated supporters for next year's FIFA World Cup," a statement said.

"This is a monumental betrayal of the tradition of the World Cup, ignoring the contribution of supporters to the spectacle it is.

"We call on Fifa to immediately halt PMA ticket sales, engage in a consultation with all impacted parties, and review ticket prices and category distribution until a solution that respects the tradition, universality, and cultural significance of the World Cup is found."

PMA allocations will equate to eight per 100 of a stadium's capacity for each match.

FSE pointed out that rather than adopting a standard price across all group matches, pricing appeared to have been calculated "dependent on vague criteria such as the perceived attractiveness of the fixture".

England fans' group Free Lions posted on X to say it backed FSE's statement, adding that these were "shocking prices, above and beyond the already high costs we suspected".

"This can't be allowed to happen. Match-goers across the world deserve protection from these rip-off prices," the group's statement added.

The cheapest ticket for England’s opening match against Croatia in Dallas will cost $265 (£195) and are priced at a minimum of $220 (£165) when Thomas Tuchel’s side face Ghana in Boston and Panama in New Jersey in their other games in Group L.

Supporter club members discovered that a semi-final ticket would set them back a minimum of £687 (€783), up from £508 (€579) to attend the quarter-finals, and £220 (€250) and £175 (€199), respectively, to go to the last-16 and last-32 ties. Those prices will force loyal fans to decide whether it is worth attending the tournament.

By comparison, following England from the first match of Euro 2024 to the final with tickets in the “fans first” category would have cost €375 (£328) according to information published by Uefa in the autumn of 2023. Even tickets in the next category up would cost a total of €860 (£753).

For Scotland’s first World Cup appearance since 1998, supporters club fans will pay between £133-£372 for their meeting with Haiti in Boston Against Morocco, the pricing ranges from £163-£446, while the marquee Brazil game in Miami will command eye-watering figures.

A total of 1,868 ‘value’ seats at the Hard Rock stadium are available to the Tartan Army at £197, skyrocketing to £521.

No details have been made available by any of Ireland’s potential opponents but based on supporter estimates, prices for the Mexico matches will range from €230 to €600.

When it comes to seeking tickets, the final global lottery runs from today (December 11) to January 13. This doesn’t operate on a first-come-first-served basis with February the date for replies.

Demand for each game will determine the success rate.

Fans also discovered earlier this week that tourists to the US face having to reveal their social media activity from the last five years, under new plans from President Donald Trump’s administration.