Last month, FIFA introduced "more affordable" $60 (£45) tickets for all 104 matches at the 2026 World Cup in response to public criticism of its pricing structure for the tournament.
However, the cheapest ticket for the 2026 World Cup final will cost over £3,000 and fans will find themselves paying just over £6,000 to attend all of their team's matches from the first game to the final.
Are fans being priced out of the World Cup?
Jeff Stelling has been named as the new brand ambassador for OLBG, which will see a new podcast, The Jeff Stelling Show launched across all platforms.
Speaking exclusively to Tribal Football, Stelling was asked about the highly priced tickets and the cheaper tickets being introduced after backlash.
“Well, they are extortionate ticket prices and all FIFA have done is dangle the tiniest, tiniest carrots possible because the number of cheap tickets is going to be minuscule. You know, I mean, the regular football fans got no chance again in them. No chance again whatsoever. I mean, it's shameful, but then again, lot of things that, you know, the ruling bodies do is shameful.
“I mean, the World Cup draw was scandalous, you know, with ‘Johnny’ Infantino, as Trump insisted on calling him, is such a self-congratulatory, self-publicising figure. I mean, I turned it off at quarter-past six. I could not bear it any longer because there'd be no sign of a ball being drawn. And it's bad enough there were 48 teams in there, let alone the fact that they had to wait that long for the draw.
“So look, if I'm a football fan and those are the prices, a lot of people would go and the problem is a lot of people will go into debt, they'll go into debt to go and that cannot be right.”
Many have called the cheaper tickets a hollow gesture due to them making up just 10% of the amount available. Only around 400 tickets for each of England's group matches will be priced at the new entry tier price, meaning the rest of the tickets are still unaffordable for most fans.
There are no concessions for children or other groups for any tickets and fans, as well as Stelling, are still clearly outraged at how the world’s biggest competition is pricing out those who want to witness it in person.