Overview
- The FIFA Council approved a $727 million distribution for 2026, including a $655 million prize pool with $50 million to the champions, $33 million to the runners-up, and $1.5 million in preparation funds for each of the 48 nations.
- FIFA added a $60 Supporter Entry Tier for all 104 matches, but it is capped at 10% of each Participating Member Association’s allotment, which itself is about 8% of stadium capacity.
- Example allocations show the concession reaches only a few hundred fans per match, with roughly 400 of the FA’s 4,022 tickets for England vs Croatia priced at $60, while other PMA tickets range from £198 for group games to about £3,140 (around $4,185) for the final.
- Supporter groups condemned the pricing as a betrayal and urged changes or a sales halt, while FIFA cited demand of more than 20 million ticket requests during the current lottery phase.
- Fresh criticism followed a $12.50 paid-entry listing for a FIFA-branded fan festival at Liberty State Park in New Jersey, a departure from the typically free fan zones seen at past World Cups.