Earlier this month, FIFA made a move that was not only foolish, greedy and ethically questionable (we’ve seen this before), but also significantly detrimental to its own interests — exploiting what many consider the cash cow known as the Men’s FIFA World Cup. Their desperation became evident as they attempted to address the situation earlier this week with a minor adjustment that barely scratches the surface and hardly suffices.
The silver lining, however, is that it might motivate fans to rise from their seats, understand their power and ramp up their pushback.
I’m referring to the ticket costs sold through the federations of the qualifying teams — or, as FIFA refers to them, Participant Member Associations (PMAs). These account for roughly 16% of the total tickets (8% per team, per match), and the prices for these tickets were set ridiculously high: from $180 to $700 for the group stage, as reported by the German federation. So exorbitant, indeed, that after substantial backlash from fan organizations, FIFA revealed a new «entry tier» of tickets priced at $60 on Tuesday.
Is this a win for fans who are protesting against being overcharged? Not really. More like FIFA coming to the realization, in its quest to extract money from fans, that it was inflicting serious harm … primarily upon itself.
Let me clarify.
The 16% of fans obtaining their tickets from PMAs aren’t just random individuals. They serve as a vital component to the grand, marathon spectacle known as the World Cup. They’re the ones creating the atmosphere and vibrancy. They’re the ones who sing and dance. They’re the ones interviewed outside the stadiums. They’re the ones that cameras focus on during breaks in the match.
Obtaining tickets through the PMA generally means that, in most cases, you are a member of whatever organization that nation’s association has established to support the national team. In numerous countries, this implies you regularly attend matches, often away from home. You’re dedicated, you’re loyal, and you’ll provide a show for the cameras.
These are the last individuals who should be exploited, especially considering that — due to dynamic pricing, which allows companies to alter prices based on market demand — the expenses linked to a North American World Cup and relentless promotion make it highly probable that a majority of the other attendees in stadiums will be corporate guests, wealthy elites, or curious spectators just wanting to partake in the spectacle — or some combination of the three.
Of course, there’s nothing inherently wrong with any of them, and I’m not insinuating that you can’t be a devoted, die-hard fan and also quite wealthy, and/or a guest of a corporation — merely that it’s a different atmosphere. It resembles the distinction between attending an NFL conference championship game versus the Super Bowl. If you’ve had the opportunity to experience both at some point, you’ll understand what I mean. For a neutral, the Super Bowl is grander, yet the conference championship game is superior because there’s a higher percentage of real, engaged fans present making noise.
Counting those I participated in as a fan, this will mark my ninth World Cup. Increasingly, starting with Russia 2018 and extending through Qatar 2022, they’ve felt like glitzy events aimed at some vague global elite of affluent individuals. Excluding fans with PMA tickets would be an act of ridiculous self-damage since it would devalue and undermine the core product FIFA is offering here: the global broadcasting rights.
Most football clubs understood this long ago. The most affordable full-price adult season ticket at Bayern Munich costs less than $200 a season. Why? Not because Bayern is uninterested in maximizing profits, but because they recognize that the «cheap seats» behind the goal are prominently visible on television, greatly enhance the atmosphere in the stadium, house the most vocal fans and — marketing jargon alert — add value to both the brand and the «game-day experience.»
Clearly, FIFA didn’t seem to grasp this when they established the prices. Does this new «supporter entry tier» make a difference? Well, we’re discussing 10% of PMA tickets, or 1.6% of the overall tickets sold. In my opinion, it doesn’t nearly address the issue, but, yes, it will assist. Especially when you take into account that another 40% will be offered at the «supporter value tier,» which is three times the amount, and the remaining PMA tickets will go for between $450 and $700.
Those of us who are a bit more pragmatic (or cynical) comprehend the system. The Men’s World Cup remains the only competition that genuinely generates revenue for FIFA. It funds all other competitions, from women’s and youth tournaments to futsal. FIFA also extensively subsidizes — both directly and indirectly — most of its 211 member nations, and these nations are the ones permitted to vote on who becomes president of FIFA (or whether the current president continues when his term ends in 2027).
Thus, it’s in FIFA’s best interest to extract every bit from 2026. FIFA’s claim that lower ticket prices — instead of «dynamic pricing» — would simply result in bots purchasing tickets and reselling them for profit on StubHub or SeatGeek does hold some truth. As does the fact that fans in North America, particularly in the U.S., are accustomed to paying very high prices for sporting events.
I understand that, and I perceive it as a necessary evil. However, don’t take advantage of the dedicated fans who have demonstrated their loyalty by traveling far and wide to support their national team for European qualifiers or irrelevant CONMEBOL matches. Don’t confuse their dedication with ignorance.
If there’s a silver lining here, it’s that these ardent fans — motivated by FIFA’s minor concession — are likely to realize they possess leverage, if not directly over FIFA, then indirectly through the national federations that depend on them for backing, ticket revenue, and organized travel. These very federations are the ones that provide the superstars that energize the World Cup, attracting casual viewers, enticing sponsors, and making headlines. They conceded on 1.6% of the tickets; who’s to say it can’t be more?
FIFA has transformed the World Cup into a television-centric event, with stadiums serving as glamorous sets. Fine. But it still requires sufficient hardcore fans «on set» for it to function. Otherwise, the corporate attendees will revert to being passive and the affluent day-trippers will move on to the next «experience,» carrying sponsors and viewing audiences with them.
