Posted on 24th March 2026
Fans report FIFA to European Commission over World Cup ticketing
Football Supporters Europe (FSE) – the umbrella organisation for European football fans – has filed a complaint against FIFA alongside a consumer association over its World Cup ticketing policies.
This summer’s World Cup has been beset by controversy before a ball has been kicked, as FIFA revealed it would be the most expensive tournament for matchgoing fans in history.
The cheapest openly available final tickets now start at $4,185 – more than seven times the cost of the cheapest 2022 World Cup final ticket. Last month FIFA president Gianni Infantino also defended the use of surge pricing at the tournament.
Now FSE and Euroconsumers have filed a formal complaint with the European Commission against FIFA, alleging that the governing football body has abused its monopoly position to impose excessive ticket prices alongside opaque and unfair purchasing conditions and processes.
The two organisations have provided evidence on six major areas of concern: sky-high prices, advertising for extremely rare $60 dollar tickets (so-called ‘bait advertising’ illegal under EU law), uncontrolled surge pricing, lack of transparency on what fans are getting for their money, pressure sales tactics and FIFA getting paid twice via its in-house resale platform.
Ronan Evain, executive director at FSE, said: “For several months now we have urged FIFA to do right by fans and reconsider its aggressive and exploitative ticketing policies.
“FIFA’s failure to engage in meaningful consultation with stakeholders yet again has left us with no option but to join forces with Euroconsumers in filing this complaint with the European Commission.
“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.”
Euroconsumers, who have led legal action against dynamic pricing on the continent, are asking the European Commission to intervene immediately with interim measures to halt these exploitative practices before the 2026 tournament begins.
Marco Scialdone, head of litigation at Euroconsumers said: “Football is a universal passion, but FIFA is treating it like a private luxury by exploiting its absolute monopoly over World Cup ticketing.
“By imposing opaque pricing, dark patterns to pressure buyers and exorbitant resale fees, FIFA is placing an unfair financial burden on millions of European fans.”
What does the FSA think?
Since pricing for the tournament was revealed last year, our Free Lions Fans’ Embassy team have highlighted the danger these ticket prices posed to the spectacle.
With tournament veterans and traditional partisan matchgoing fans thinking twice about attending, or being priced out altogether, those seats could remain empty or filled by neutrals, tourists or more casual fans with cash to burn.
The Football Supporters’ Association said: “We totally agree with FSE that FIFA’s ticket pricing policy is excessively expensive and unfair on fans who want to follow their team at the World Cup.
“England supporters allocated the Category 3 tickers – one of the “cheaper” options – will have to pay $7,020 should the Three Lions reach the final.
“From the much-vaunted $60 tickets which barely exist to charging disabled supporters 38 times more than Qatar, what should be a global celebration has become a FIFA cash cow.
“We back FSE’s call on FIFA to stop using dynamic pricing models, freeze upcoming sale prices, show more respect for consumer rights and be more transparent on ticketing data.”
