Scotland’s First Minister has called on football chiefs to act on ticket prices which have seen this summer’s World Cup become the “most expensive in history”.
John Swinney told Fifa president Gianni Infantino that the dynamic ticket-pricing model used for the tournament – which is taking place across Canada, the US and Mexico – will be “simply unaffordable” for many Scotland supporters.
With tickets for the final reportedly on sale for 10,990 US dollars (about £8,000), the SNP leader said he wants the sporting body to introduce a “fair, affordable ticketing model for fans”.
The Scotland men’s team qualified for their first World Cup since 1998 with a dramatic victory against Denmark last year.
In his letter to Mr Infantino, Mr Swinney said: “Our Tartan Army has the chance to see our men’s national team at a World Cup for the first time in decades.
“But our historic return has been marred by Fifa’s dynamic pricing model that has made the trip simply unaffordable for so many loyal supporters.”
Mr Swinney added that dynamic ticket pricing had “made this the most expensive World Cup in history”, adding that the tournament is now “the opposite of what football, and indeed the biggest sporting occasion on the planet, should be about”.
The First Minister continued: “Scotland fans, travelling across the globe, are entirely justified in calling for you to put an end to this pricing model, particularly during a cost-of-living crisis when people are really struggling.
“I am urging you to act to introduce a fair, affordable ticketing model for fans.”
Telling Mr Infantino that “football belongs to fans”, Mr Swinney said it is “imperative” for Fifa to “take responsibility to ensure that remains the case”.
The First Minister said: “The Tartan Army are the greatest supporters in the world and follow Scotland around the globe.
“So it is incredibly disappointing that too many of them will be priced out of our first World Cup in nearly 30 years.
“I have written to Fifa to call for fair pricing – the World Cup is an event that should be available to as many people as possible.
“Football should be about fans, not finances.”
A Fifa spokesperson said: “Fifa is focused on ensuring fair access to our game for existing but also prospective fans, and offered group stage tickets starting at 60 dollars (£45.48), a very competitive price point for a major global sporting event in the US.
“Fifa has confirmed that fans of the national teams that have qualified for the Fifa World Cup 2026 would also benefit from a dedicated ticket pricing tier, which has been designed to make following their teams on football’s greatest stage more affordable.
“The supporter entry tier is available at the fixed price of 60 dollars per ticket for each of the 104 matches, including the final.
“The entry tier ticket is allocated specifically to supporters of qualified teams, with the selection and distribution process managed individually by the Participating Member Associations (PMAs).
“Each PMA can define its own eligibility criteria and application process. They are requested to ensure that these tickets are specifically allocated to loyal fans who are closely connected to their national teams.”
They added: “For the Fifa World Cup 2026, Fifa has established a ticket sales and secondary market model that reflects standard ticket market practices for major sporting and entertainment events across the host countries.
“Fifa’s resale marketplace provides a safe, transparent and secure environment for fans to sell or transfer tickets to other fans.
“The applicable resale facilitation fees are aligned with industry standards across North American sports and entertainment sectors.
“Fifa’s variable pricing ticketing approach aligns with industry trends across various sports and entertainment sectors, where price adaptations are made to optimise sales and attendance and ensure a fair market value for events.”
Fifa advised that revenue generated from the World Cup ticket sales model is reinvested into the development of football.
