2026 World Cup “38 times” more expensive than Qatar for disabled fans

Supporter groups have written to FIFA calling for urgent changes to be made to accessible ticketing ahead of this summer’s World Cup.

For the 2026 World Cup – due to be held in the US, Canada and Mexico – accessible tickets for fans in their national association schemes will be restricted to bands one to three, with no access to the most affordable category for disabled fans.

Fans with disabilities will pay between $140 and $450 for the cheapest group stage matches, with the cheapest accessible ticket for the final costing $4,180.

At previous major tournaments, accessible seating was typically priced at the lowest category or discounted to reflect additional barriers faced by supporters with disabilities.

Personal assistants and companions of disabled fans will also have to purchase their own tickets – effectively doubling the cost of attending matches.

Football Supporters’ Europe (FSE) said: “People with disabilities already face unavoidable extra costs for transport, accommodation, equipment, and personal assistance. By contrast, at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, group-stage tickets cost $10 and included a free companion ticket. Requiring fans with disabilities to pay up to 38 times more four years later directly contradicts FIFA’s claims that 2026 will set new standards in diversity and inclusion.

“It is also unacceptable that tickets are being sold without clear information on stadium accessibility, and that accessible tickets can be bought without proof of eligibility and resold on FIFA’s platform without any price cap. This enables speculation and exploitation, with accessibility tickets already appearing on resale for several times their face value.”

FSE are calling on FIFA to substantially reduce accessible ticket prices, cap resale prices at face value, reinstate free companion tickets and engage directly with supporters with disabilities.

Level Playing Field, the UK-based group campaigning for better access to football, said it also has serious concerns about the state of disability ticketing ahead of the tournament.

They have written to FIFA outlining how disabled fans face higher, unavoidable costs compared to non-disabled supporters, while there is uncertainty over allocation numbers and the positioning of personal assistants and companions.

Chair of Level Playing Field, Tony Taylor, said: “This ongoing uncertainty over accessible ticketing is unacceptable.

“The current situation appears to expect disabled fans to gamble on cost and access.”

The 2026 World Cup has been beset by controversy over its record-breaking ticket prices, setting it up to be the most expensive tournament in history for matchgoing supporters.

In December, our Free Lions Fans’ Embassy team called on national associations to lobby FIFA for more affordable ticketing as England fans faced the prospect of paying more than $3,000 upfront to follow the team this summer.

The outcry led FIFA to introduce a very small number of $45 tickets across the tournament, something FSA chair Tom Greatrex said didn’t go far enough.

“This is a step in the right direction,” Tom said in December. “As it shows changes for good can be made, but it still leaves 90% of loyal, hardcore supporters paying ridiculous prices.

“Rather than playing PR games FIFA needs to do the right thing and set prices at a reasonable price for all supporters, and FAs need to apply pressure on them to do just that.”