World Cup organisers have announced a new cut-price ticket option for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, following weeks of criticism from fans over what many described as excessive and exclusionary pricing.
Okay News reports that the new category, called the “Supporter Entry Tier,” will offer tickets at 60 dollars for all 104 matches, including the final.
In a statement on Tuesday, FIFA said the new tier was created to “further support travelling fans” and will apply exclusively to supporters of qualified teams.
Each football federation will receive an allocation in which 10 percent will be reserved for this cheaper category.
Fan groups, however, say the move falls short. Football Supporters Europe (FSE), which previously condemned the 2026 pricing as “extortionate” and “astronomical,” argued that FIFA’s adjustment does little to address the core concerns raised over the past week.
“While we welcome FIFA’s seeming recognition of the damage its original plans were to cause, the revisions do not go far enough,” FSE said, insisting the change affects only a fraction of fans. The group warned that the majority of supporters would still face prices “way higher than at any tournament before.”
FSE had earlier accused FIFA of abandoning promises made in its 2018 bid document, where ticket prices were expected to start at 21 dollars. The group calculated that a fan following their team from opening match to final would need at least 6,900 dollars, sparking outrage across Europe, Africa and the Americas.
The new decision, according to FSE, exposes the lack of consultation that went into the initial pricing process. “This shows that FIFA’s ticketing policy is not set in stone, was decided in a rush, and without proper consultation,” the organisation said, adding that only a “few hundred” fans per match may actually benefit from the new tier.
The group also criticised FIFA for failing to introduce a dedicated accommodation for supporters with disabilities.
In the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Keir Starmer also weighed in, saying the update did not sufficiently address affordability concerns.
“I encourage FIFA to do more to make tickets more affordable so that the World Cup doesn’t lose touch with the genuine supporters who make the game so special,” he wrote on X.
FIFA defended the policy shift, saying it was made “amid extraordinary global demand,” noting that 20 million ticket requests have already been submitted.
The body added that fans whose teams get eliminated early after purchasing knockout-stage tickets will have administrative fees waived during refunds.
The first major draw for ticket allocations across all categories will take place on January 13.
