Published: June 10, 2026 at 5:35 pm
The controversy surrounding ticket prices for the 2026 FIFA World Cup has become one of the biggest talking points ahead of the tournament. What should have been a global celebration of football has instead sparked accusations that the event is becoming increasingly inaccessible to ordinary football supporters.
At the heart of the criticism is FIFA’s use of a dynamic pricing policy. It is a system that allows ticket prices to rise according to demand. But fans are livid. FIFA is not an Uber cab, they argue. But, FIFA claims that this reflects market conditions. So, ticket prices for some high-profile matches have risen dramatically, with reports of premium seats costing tens of thousands of dollars and even ordinary tickets for major games reaching levels that many families cannot afford.
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Football fan groups have argued that the World Cup was traditionally an event where fans from all social and economic backgrounds could come together. Critics say the 2026 tournament risks becoming a spectacle for corporations, wealthy tourists, and hospitality clients rather than genuine football followers. Some fan organizations estimate that attending the 2026 World Cup could cost several times more than attending the previous 2022 tournament in Qatar.
Strong backlash prompts investigation
The backlash has become so strong that FIFA’s ticketing practices have attracted scrutiny from government authorities in parts of the United States. Investigations have been launched into complaints about pricing policies and seat allocations, adding to concerns about transparency in the ticketing process.
For many supporters, the issue is one of symbolism. Football is a common man’s game. Followers are usually students or middle class and working-class people. Pic: Deccan Chronicle
However, FIFA president Gianni Infantino has defended the pricing strategy, arguing that demand for the tournament has been unprecedented and that many tickets are still being resold for even higher prices. FIFA also points out that lower-priced tickets remain available for some matches.
Nevertheless, the debate goes beyond mere economics. For many supporters, the issue is one of symbolism. Football is a common man’s game. Followers are usually students or middle class and working-class people. So, the present criticism reflects a widespread feeling that the competition is drifting away from its roots and becoming a luxury entertainment product like a film star night.
Denial of visas causing anger
Another controversy erupted when referee Omar Artan of Somalia, who was adjudged Africa’s Referee of the Year 2025, was detained by US immigration authorities and deported from the country. Initially appointed to officiate several World Cup matches, he will now miss the tournament entirely.
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Artan flew to Miami International Airport five days before the first game of the tournament but was prevented from entering the United States by border officials, who took him aside and questioned him throughout the night before finally denying him permission to enter the USA.
The disappointed referee said: “I had all the right documents. Everything was in order. Yet they did not allow me. The biggest dream of my life has been shattered. I am very disappointed.”
He would have been the first Somali to referee a game in the tournament.
Many others denied visa
When Iraq’s football team qualified for the World Cup, many Iraqi fans bought tickets for their country’s matches against Norway and France, which will be played in the US cities of Boston and Philadelphia this month. Despite the high-ticket prices, they were prepared to go to any lengths to watch the matches and see their team in action. This is only the second time that Iraq has qualified for the World Cup, the first was in 1986.
But getting a visa was a big hurdle and many were denied. After the start of the US-Israel war with Iran, the US suspended routine consular services in Iraq due to concerns about security in the region. This means there is nowhere in the country where Iraqi fans could get visas, because they have to attend an in-person interview just as is done in India.
Iraqis are not alone in facing problems. Fans from more than a quarter of the countries taking part in the World Cup are facing travel bans, tighter restrictions or high visa rejection rates. Some fans from Arab nations travelled to neighbouring Jordan to try to get a visa at the US embassy there. These people were not only young men and women but also families with children in tow. The kids were all excited that they may get a chance to see the world’s most famous players in action.
Families facing severe losses
But when they arrived, the embassy staff told them that only Jordanian citizens could apply for US visas from Jordan. Now they are at their wits end and wondering if all the harassment is worth it. Moreover, they are also facing financial losses. The tickets (which they bought before the Iran-Israel-USA conflict started) and expenses for the trip to Jordan cost each person about $1,800.
Fans from several countries are angry and upset by the confusion and chaos. They say the travel restrictions are a “form of segregation”. One of the main barriers is American President Donald Trump’s list of banned countries. This list includes four competing countries that are at the World Cup – Haiti, Iran, Senegal and Ivory Coast. The travel ban means their citizens are barred from receiving the type of visitor visa that US authorities recommend for fans.
Whenever the Olympic Games began, all the nations who were fighting wars, would declare a cease of hostilities for the duration of the Games. It was an Olympic tradition that warfare would stop when the Games were in progress. And all participants and spectators would be allowed free and safe travel to the venue. Pic: For Soccer
One Senegalese fan questioned: “No European country has faced this kind of restriction. Why are these restrictions in place only for people of Africa? This whole system is a fraud. FIFA sells us tickets. Without a ticket, the US government won’t give us a visa. So first we have to buy a ticket. But even after that, the US government may decide not to give a visa. And it does not end there. Thereafter the CBP (Customs and Border Protection) may again reject you despite your ticket and Visa.” said the irate fan.
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Last year 57 percent of US visa applications from Jordan were refused. And Jordan is a country that has friendly ties with the USA. The plight of other nations is worse. The situation is not so bad in Canada and Mexico which are joint hosts of the tournament, but 78 of the 104 matches, including the final, will be played in cities across the USA.
Must follow the example of the ancient Olympics
It is said that the Olympic Games began in ancient Greece in 776 BCE and ran till 393 CE. Thus, it spanned 1169 years and was the longest lasting activity ever recorded in human history.
But whenever the Olympic Games began, all the nations who were fighting wars, would declare a cease of hostilities for the duration of the Games. It was an Olympic tradition that warfare would stop when the Games were in progress. And all participants and spectators would be allowed free and safe travel to the venue.
But we humans who live in the 21st century seem to have lost the wisdom of the ancient Greeks. Our political leaders would do well to look into the past and gain sagacity from thoughts and words of the ancient philosophers.
