European soccer fans are outraged over the soaring cost of tickets for the 2026 North American World Cup, which kicks off on June 11.
According to BBC on Tuesday, Football Supporters Europe has joined forces with European consumer group Euroconsumers to accuse world soccer-governing body FIFA of abusing its monopoly in setting ticket prices.
The FSE said it had filed a complaint with the European Commission, alleging that FIFA "has abused its monopoly position to impose excessive ticket prices and opaque and unfair purchasing conditions and processes" on European fans.
The group further argued that FIFA holds exclusive rights over ticket sales for the 2026 tournament and has used that authority to impose conditions "that would never be acceptable in a competitive market."
Currently, tickets for the World Cup final are priced at $4,185, more than seven times higher than those for the 2022 Qatar World Cup final.
The FSE has called on FIFA to abandon its demand-based dynamic pricing model and freeze prices when tickets go on sale in April.
In response, FIFA said it is aware of the concerns, but it has not formally received the complaint, declining to comment further. It added that it remains focused on ensuring fair access to matches for both existing and potential fans.
The 2026 World Cup, to take place from June 11 to July 19, will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, with around 7 million tickets expected to be sold.
According to estimates, a fan attending one match per round — eight matches in total — would pay roughly $6,600 for the cheapest tickets. Midrange tickets would cost about $10,900, while the most expensive packages could reach approximately $15,700.
(Translated with ChatGPT and edited by The Korea Herald)
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