Chalien Dantes/Contributor

Supporters dreaming of seeing next year’s World Cup final in person may need deeper pockets than ever before. Ticket prices have surged to eye-watering levels, with the lowest tier for travelling fans starting at £3,119 (US$4,185).

Fans didn’t hide their frustration, calling governing body FIFA’s pricing strategy extortionate as details continued to trickle out last Thursday. National associations were briefed on their allocations, and the numbers were far higher than many expected.

For context, the cheapest openly available tickets for the 2022 tournament in Qatar were £450. Now, the equivalent options for 2026 cost almost seven times as much. The ‘supporters standard tier’ has jumped from £747 to £4,162 (US$5,560), and the ‘supporters premium tier’ now hits £6,615 (US$8,860), compared with £1,197 at Lusail Stadium three years ago.

FSE has called for sales to be stopped immediately, arguing that the removal of the lowest cost bracket abandons what many fans see as the heart of the World Cup and the people who bring life to it.

A new ticket ballot opens Thursday afternoon (December 18), giving buyers another chance, though not necessarily an affordable one. Tomorrow, members of national supporters’ clubs will enter a random draw, either for specific matches or for following their team all the way to the final.

This time around, there’s a twist: group stage prices are no longer fixed. Instead, each match is priced based on how appealing it’s predicted to be. In Qatar, fans faced flat rates of £68.50, £164.50 or £219. Now, England’s opener against Croatia on 17 June ranges from £198 to £523.

Scotland’s early fixtures are less punishing on the wallet. Their match against Haiti comes in at £134, £298 or £372, while the meeting with Morocco sits at £163, £320 or £447. Their final group game then jumps to the same pricing as England vs Croatia.

Similar to 2022, there are no ultra-low category four options for travelling supporters—once again leaving many feeling priced out before the tournament has even begun.