Football enthusiasts have voiced their concerns over the exorbitant ticket prices for the upcoming 2026 World Cup matches. A recent survey conducted among nearly 2,000 individuals from England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland revealed that two-thirds of respondents find the cost of entry to the tournament in the US, Mexico, and Canada to be excessively high. This sentiment aligns with the ongoing criticism of FIFA’s pricing strategy, as highlighted in recent reports by the Mirror.
Additionally, the survey indicated strong support for a collaborative bid from British nations to host a World Cup in the future. Despite England’s previous unsuccessful attempts to secure the tournament since 1966, there is overwhelming backing for a joint bid involving England, Scotland, and Wales. Approximately 66% of participants expressed dissatisfaction with current ticket prices, while 67% favored the idea of a shared World Cup bid, with only 11% opposing the concept.
Conducted online from December 16th to December 18th, 2025, by Deltapoll, the survey interviewed 1,997 British adults, ensuring a representative sample of the population. Notably, fervent football fans Neal Weekes and Fil Sollof expressed outrage at the steep prices, echoing the sentiments of the survey results. Weekes, a 60-year-old auctioneer from Greenwich, and Sollof, a 60-year-old business owner from Loughton, criticized FIFA for pricing out working-class fans and emphasized the urgent need for change.
The escalating ticket prices have sparked widespread dismay among fans, with Ronan Evain, Director of Football Supporters Europe, condemning FIFA’s decision as a severe blow to fans’ affordability. The tournament, set to feature 48 countries for the first time next summer, has Spain as the frontrunner according to bookmakers, with England, France, and Brazil following closely behind.
As the tournament approaches in June and July, concerns persist over the economic barriers hindering fan participation, prompting calls for FIFA to reconsider its pricing policies for the benefit of all football enthusiasts worldwide.