The Football Supporters Europe (FSE) has filed a lawsuit on Tuesday with the European Commission against world football governing body FIFA, accusing it of imposing “excessive ticket prices” for this year’s World Cup finals.

The FSE, alongside the Euroconsumers group, argues that tickets for the June 11–July 19 tournament across the United States, Canada, and Mexico are unreasonably expensive and claims that FIFA’s control over sales amounts to a monopoly.

In a statement, the groups said they have formally lodged a complaint with the European Commission, alleging that FIFA has abused its dominant position by enforcing inflated prices and unfair, opaque purchasing conditions on European fans ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

They added that FIFA’s monopoly over ticket distribution allows it to impose terms that would not be acceptable in a competitive market.

FSE also highlighted the sharp rise in prices compared to previous tournaments, stating that the cheapest available final tickets are priced at $4,185 (£3,100), which is more than seven times higher than the cheapest ticket for the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar.

By comparison, they noted that the lowest-priced tickets for the UEFA Euro 2024 Final were just €95 (£82).

Football Supporters Europe (FSE) said that FIFA’s own bid documentation originally projected an average ticket price of $1,408 (£1,050), a figure the group claims has been significantly exceeded.

According to FIFA, nearly seven million tickets have been made available for the tournament. Fans are limited to a maximum of four tickets per match and 40 tickets in total across the competition.

The expanded World Cup, which will feature 104 matches and 48 teams for the first time, has seen prices surge for high-demand fixtures.

FSE also noted that the North American bid initially promised tickets starting from $21 (£15). However, the cheapest tickets released so far have been priced at $60 (£45), such as for the Group J opener between Austria national football team and Jordan national football team at Levi’s Stadium.

Most tickets for matches involving top-ranked nations are reportedly priced at $200 (£150) or higher.

Dynamic pricing controversy

Some resale listings on FIFA’s official platform have reached extreme levels, with one Category 3 seat for the final at MetLife Stadium listed at $143,750 (£107,200) — more than 41 times its original face value of $3,450 (£2,600).

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has defended the pricing model, saying it reflects demand-driven “dynamic pricing,” where costs can rise or fall depending on the match.

However, FSE argued that this system lacks caps or transparency, allowing prices to escalate without clear limits or explanation.

The group also claimed that some ticket prices increased by as much as 25% between sales phases, leaving fans uncertain of final costs before entering purchase queues.

In response to criticism, FIFA introduced a lower-cost Category 4 ticket tier. However, these $60 tickets were reportedly limited to supporters of qualified teams and made up only around 10% of each national federation’s allocation.

FSE said that although FIFA advertised widespread availability of $60 group-stage tickets, in practice they were extremely limited, with much of the Category 4 allocation sold out before general sales began.

FIFA is also reserving an unspecified number of tickets to be released from April onwards on a first-come, first-served basis.

Alongside official sales, FIFA operates a resale platform where fans can resell tickets at market-driven prices. Critics say this has enabled extreme price inflation, particularly for final tickets.

In the United States and Canada, resale markets are largely unregulated, while in Mexico resale above face value is generally prohibited, except under specific purchasing conditions.