England fans stage World Cup protest after extortionate ticket prices for showpiece tournament
England supporters have mounted a significant protest against FIFA’s World Cup ticket pricing, turning their backs on thousands of seats for this summer’s tournament across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The backlash means Thomas Tuchel’s squad could be cheered on by a mere 600 fans should they reach the final at New Jersey’s 82,500-capacity MetLife Stadium on 19 July.
Following Tuesday’s FA application deadline, only the cheapest category of tickets priced at £45 attracted interest from members of the England Supporters’ Travel Club, according to The Sun.
The remaining seats, commanding prices between £3,129 and £6,489, were overwhelmingly spurned by Three Lions followers.
Data reveals that approximately 98 per cent of the 30,000 Travel Club members declined to purchase tickets beyond the budget-friendly option.
From England’s 4,500-seat allocation for the showpiece match, just 600 of the most affordable seats found buyers.
The stark contrast in demand highlights the financial barrier facing ordinary supporters hoping to watch captain Harry Kane and his teammates compete at the tournament’s climax.
England supporters have mounted a significant protest against FIFA’s World Cup ticket pricing, turning their backs on thousands of seats for this summer’s tournament across the United States, Canada and Mexico
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This represents a dramatic shift from Euro 2024 in Germany, where tens of thousands of England fans made the journey to support the team through to the final, where Spain ultimately prevailed.
Demand for knockout stage fixtures follows an identical pattern, with supporters only taking up the 500 cheapest tickets at £45 for both potential quarter-final and semi-final matches.
Quarter-final seats that went unwanted carry price tags ranging from £508 to £1,076, whilst semi-final tickets were priced between £687 and £2,370.
England’s record in their last five major tournaments | PA/GETTY
The thousands of rejected tickets could ultimately appear on FIFA’s controversial resale platform, overseen by the governing body’s president Gianni Infantino.
Record-low attendance figures for England supporters now loom across all knockout fixtures at the tournament, should the national team progress through the competition.
Simon Harris, a 67-year-old retired finance worker from Bridgnorth in Shropshire who has followed England at nearly every major tournament for a quarter of a century, condemned the situation.
“It’s unparalleled, a complete mess, and totally due to Fifa’s outrageous pricing,” he said. “People cannot afford to pay ridiculous amounts for tickets beyond the small number of £45 seats.”
England won all of their World Cup qualifying matches to reach the showpiece tournament
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The Football Supporters’ Association offered a blunt assessment: “The application numbers for the semi-final and final speak for themselves.”
The FA’s England Supporters’ Travel Club confirmed that applications for quarter-final, semi-final and final tickets remain undersubscribed, with all applicants now guaranteed a seat.
