File image of Antoine Griezmann.© AFP

Soccer fans have launched a formal complaint with the European Commission against FIFA over World Cup ticket prices. Football Supporters Europe (FSE) said on Tuesday it joined with consumer group Euroconsumers to allege soccer’s world governing body had abused its position to impose excessive prices. FSE accused FIFA of a “monumental betrayal” in December when tickets were put on general sale ranging from $140 for the cheapest group games to $8,680 for the final. The cheapest tickets for the final were $4,185 but all prices are subject to change as FIFA is employing dynamic pricing for the first time at the World Cup co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

“FIFA holds a monopoly over ticket sales for the 2026 World Cup and has used that power to impose conditions on fans that would never be acceptable in a competitive market,” FSE and Euroconsumers said in a joint statement.

Following a backlash from fans in December, FIFA slashed some ticket prices to $60 for every round through to the final, which teams could distribute to their most loyal fans.

Beside the exorbitant prices, FSE also claimed FIFA deployed pressure selling tactics and cricitized the transparency of the process.

It has called for prices to be frozen during the next round of sales in April and for dynamic pricing to be stopped when selling to fans in Europe.

“Dynamic pricing turns fans’ loyalty into a bidding war, inflates costs without added value, and locks out many supporters,” said Els Bruggeman, head of policy and enforcement at Euroconsumers.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in January that the demand for tickets was the equivalent of “1,000 years of World Cups at once”. He said all 104 matches at the World Cup would be sold out, meaning “tickets will probably be resold at even higher prices.”

FSE was also critical of FIFA’s official resale platform, which has seen tickets listed well in excess of their face value and from which the governing body takes a 30% cut from any sale.

“FIFA point to their unconfirmed sales figures as validation of their unfair ticket practices, while the reality is they leave loyal fans with no other choice — pay up or lose out,” said Ronan Evain, executive director for FSE.

FIFA told the Associated Press that it had not formally received the complaint. It added that as a not-for-profit organization, revenue from the World Cup was reinvested to grow soccer.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola is out of contract at the end of June with Manchester United, Crystal Palace, Tottenham and Athletic Bilbao all linked with the 43-year-old

Manchester United will encounter competition from Crystal Palace should they attempt to appoint Andoni Iraola this summer. Iraola’s deal with Bournemouth is due to expire at the end of June and the 43-year-old is already generating considerable interest.

Iraola has yet to reach a decision on whether he will remain with the Cherries beyond the conclusion of the season.

His potential availability has sparked speculation he could secure a prestigious position elsewhere, with United, Tottenham, Palace and Athletic Bilbao amongst those keen on his services.

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United will appoint a long-term replacement for Ruben Amorim this summer, with Michael Carrick potentially in the running, having secured seven victories from his 10 matches in charge as interim head coach.

Palace need to replace the outgoing Oliver Glasner, Athletic Club need to identify a successor to Ernesto Valverde, who recently confirmed he will depart the club at the end of the season, and Spurs face uncertainty around their managerial situation.

READ MORE: Casemiro was willing to take pay cut before Man United move in offer that speaks volumesREAD MORE: 10 Manchester United players set for extra training during international break

Iraola has earned a superb reputation after guiding Bournemouth to 12th and ninth in his first two seasons in the Premier League. Despite losing several influential players in the summer transfer window, he has the Cherries on track for another creditable finish, with the south coast side currently 13th and unbeaten in 11 matches.

The Telegraph reports that his achievements with Bournemouth have caught Palace’s attention, who have been aware since January that they must find Glasner’s replacement in the summer.

Iraola is regarded as one of the finest young managers in the league, and Palace will attempt to lure him with another ‘project’, rather than a more demanding position higher up the table.

Iraola is expected to attract interest from Athletic Club, who require Valverde’s successor in the summer. Iraola made more than 500 appearances for his hometown club, and that sentimental bond could outweigh alternative opportunities, though former Borussia Dortmund manager Edin Terzic has been heavily linked with the vacancy.

Meanwhile, United’s hierarchy have yet to enter discussions with any potential new managers, partly because of Carrick’s influence as interim boss. Director of football Jason Wilcox and chief executive Omar Berrada are comfortable taking their time and could consequently lose out on Iraola, who has remained tight-lipped about his intentions.

“Definitely [closer to a decision]. It is something we will decide sooner rather than later, but there is no news,” Iraola stated earlier this month when he was asked about his future. “When there is something to say, we will say it.”

When pressed for more, he added: “I have one thing clear, the club and me are very open. We talk a lot and very sincerely. We have open conversations, but obviously we cannot say here, outside, what we are telling inside. I think that’s how we should work.

“I have a great relationship with [technical director] Simon [Francis] and [president of football operations] Tiago [Pinto]. Everything is fine between us. We have things that we discuss, but they are internal conversations.”

England’s 2026 World Cup kits

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Soaring World Cup ticket prices have pushed European fans to file a complaint against FIFA.

“The cheapest openly available final tickets now start at $4,185,” the Football Supporters Europe (FSE) group said. That’s around €3,400 — and “more than seven times the cost of the cheapest 2022 World Cup final ticket,” the group said in statement.

FSE filed the complaint with the European Commission, accusing FIFA of “excessive ticket prices” and “unfair purchasing conditions” and calling it an “abuse of its monopoly position.”

“They leave loyal fans with no other choice — pay up or lose out,” FSE’s executive director said.

€163,000 for a single seat

As of Tuesday, resale sites like Viagogo and SeatPick listed single final-match seats for as much as €163,000 (about $190,000)

In Mexico — one of the World Cup’s three co-hosts — reselling tickets above face value is prohibited, but only for those purchased domestically in local currency. In the United States and Canada, by contrast, resale markets remain largely unregulated.

Gianni Infantino, FIFA’s president, defended the high prices as a reflection of the high demand.

“In the US in particular, there is this thing called dynamic pricing, meaning the prices will go up or down” depending on the match, he said.

FSE, however, argues that “dynamic pricing” lacks safeguards, with no cap on how high prices can rise.

Cheap tickets were ‘so scarce’

At the end of last year, FIFA introduced $60 (€52) tickets, making up 10% of each qualifying team’s allocation. National associations manage distribution, prioritizing loyal supporters through their own rules.

“In practice, [the $60 tickets] were so scarce that the entire Category 4 inventory was practically sold out before general public sales opened,” FSE said.

Beyond the six-figure cost of a final ticket, FSE said FIFA’s bid documents projected an average ticket price of about $1,400 per seat — but “that number has been left far behind,” the group said.

EU called to step in

Lobby group Euroconsumers, which filed the complaint jointly with FSE, demanded action from the European Union.

“We are calling on the European Commission to intervene immediately with interim measures to halt these exploitative practices before the 2026 tournament begins.” 

The European Commission confirmed it has received the complaint and will assess it under standard procedures.

Although the World Cup takes place in North America, the Commission can intervene because FIFA’s ticketing practices affect European consumers. No deadline has been set for the review.

Largest World Cup ever

The tournament is set to begin June 11 and will be the first World Cup to feature 48 teams instead of 32. Fans will be buying tickets for a total of 104 matches.

Despite the high prices, demand remains strong: FIFA said the latest sales phase saw more than half a billion ticket requests for this year’s expanded tournament.

Editor: Sean Sinico