FIFA releases more World Cup tickets and adds higher priced categories after fan backlash

FIFA has announced the release of additional World Cup tickets while introducing new, more expensive pricing categories, prompting criticism from fans.

The governing body confirmed on Tuesday that more tickets for all 104 matches will go on sale at 11:00 AM EDT on Wednesday.

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These will include seats across Categories 1, 2 and 3, alongside a newly introduced “front category” pricing tier.

The move comes after fans raised concerns online about the new category, with some saying they were allocated less favourable seats than expected.

Critics argued that better seats may have been withheld during earlier sales.

Ticket prices have steadily increased. When sales first opened in December, prices ranged from $140 for Category 3 group-stage matches to $8,680 for the final.

When sales resumed on April 1, prices rose to as much as $10,990.

FIFA has not publicly responded to questions about the introduction of the new categories.

Separate reports suggest ticket demand may be slower than expected for some matches.

According to The Athletic, more than 40,000 tickets had been sold for the United States opener against Paraguay, while over 50,000 were sold for the Iran versus New Zealand match.

Both games will take place at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, which has a projected capacity of about 69,650.