FIFA Urged To Halt World Cup Ticket Sales Over ‘Betrayal’ Of Prices

LONDON, Dec 12 (Bernama-PA Media/dpa) -- FIFA has been urged to suspend World Cup ticket sales after it was revealed that some of the sport’s most loyal fans were being charged ‘extortionate’ prices, reported PA Media/dpa.

The Croatian federation released pricing details for its participant member association (PMA) allocation, which is intended for fans who attend the most matches and offers tickets at fixed rather than dynamic prices.

However, the Croatian FA listed the cheapest tickets for the final on July 19 as costing US$4,185 each. Football Supporters Europe (FSE) described FIFA’s approach as a ‘monumental betrayal’ of fans.

It said that, based on the information available so far, fans would need to pay €6,900 (US$8,098.05) to attend every match from the opening game to the final through the PMA allocation – five times more than the cost at the last tournament 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 account for eight per cent 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”.

The Football Association is set to confirm pricing details to members of the England Supporters Travel Club (ESTC) on Thursday afternoon.

England supporters can expect to pay at least £198 (US$265.60) for a ticket to the opening match against Croatia on June 17, with the Croatian FA having informed its supporters that would be the cost of the cheapest tickets available in the PMA allocation for that match.

A random selection draw for World Cup tickets is due to be opened by tournament organisers FIFA on Thursday.

All fans – not only those eligible for the PMA allocation – can go online until January 13 to try to purchase as many tickets as they wish, also at fixed prices.

After the sales window closes, fans will find out how many tickets, if any, they have successfully secured, and their credit cards will be charged accordingly.

Tickets sold in earlier sales windows were subject to dynamic pricing, meaning their prices could increase or decrease based on demand.

--BERNAMA-PA Media/dpa