The deadline for initial World Cup ticket applications passed on Tuesday, with many England fans having no idea what they’ll end up paying, despite having to commit. The difference could end up being thousands of dollars, but they now can’t cancel.
Some fans eligible for the limited $60 (£44.75) “category 4” tickets will still be sitting near relatives in the same section, facing thousands of dollars in difference. There have been many similar stories. A number of supporters naturally rushed to book already expensive hotels and flights when the schedule was confirmed on 6 December, only to make the difficult decision to cancel once prices were actually announced a few days later. A new system, which represents an inexplicable shift from all recent tournaments, has ensured some tickets have gone up to five times the price of Qatar. The initial backlash forced Fifa into a minor climbdown, where 10 per cent of tickets for all qualified teams – the Participating Member Associations (PMA) – were brought into a fixed $60 “category 4”. There’s an immense jump to category 3.
