FIFA: Complaint in Europe for abusive prices on 2026 World Cup tickets

Complaint against FIFA for 2026 World Cup ticket sales

Consumer organizations Euroconsumers and the fan collective Football Supporters Europe (FSE) have filed a formal complaint against FIFA with the European Commission. The reason for the complaint is the alleged abuse of a monopoly position in the sale of tickets for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The plaintiffs argue that FIFA has imposed excessive prices and purchasing conditions that they consider opaque and unfair to fans. The complaint points out at least six abusive practices in the ticket sales process.

• High prices.
• Misleading advertising.
• Variable fees without transparency.
• Pressure techniques to speed up the purchase.
• Double profit from commissions on the official resale of tickets.

According to the report presented, the most economical tickets for the 2026 World Cup final have a starting price of $4,185, a figure significantly higher than the cost of the cheapest tickets for the 2022 World Cup final. In addition, it was reported that tickets promoted from $60 sold out quickly when they went on sale. Organizations also criticized the dynamic pricing system, noting that some tickets increased by up to 25% between different sales phases. The lack of information about the exact location of the seats at the time of purchase and the restrictions on refunds were also questioned.

In the complaint, they requested the European Commission to order FIFA to suspend the use of dynamic pricing for fans from the European Economic Area, freeze prices in the next sales phase, and publish in advance the number of tickets available and their location in the stadiums.

Euroconsumers and FSE

Euroconsumers, which groups consumer organizations from several countries and represents millions of users, expects European authorities to act to ensure fair prices, transparency in the sales process, and greater protection for fans wishing to attend the 2026 World Cup.