On 15 December, Football Supporters Europe (FSE) and its Disability & Inclusion Fan Network wrote to FIFA President Gianni Infantino to condemn FIFA’s accessible ticket pricing for the 2026 World Cup, which is effectively excluding supporters with disabilities from the tournament.
FIFA has restricted accessibility tickets for National Team fans (PMA allocation) to Categories 1–3, denying access to the lowest-priced category. As a result, fans with disabilities must pay between approximately 140 USD and 450 USD for the cheapest Group Stage matches, with the cheapest accessible ticket for the final costing 4,185 USD. This departs sharply from established practice at major tournaments, where accessible seating is typically priced at the lowest category or discounted to reflect additional barriers faced by supporters with disabilities.
FIFA’s decision to charge for companion tickets further compounds the problem. For many supporters with disabilities, attending a match without a companion is impossible. Charging for companions effectively doubles the cost and amounts to an unfair tax imposed solely on fans with disabilities. These prices are prohibitive.
People with disabilities already face unavoidable extra costs for transport, accommodation, equipment, and personal assistance. By contrast, at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, group-stage tickets cost 10 USD and included a free companion ticket. Requiring fans with disabilities to pay up to 38 times more four years later directly contradicts FIFA’s claims that 2026 will set new standards in diversity and inclusion.
It is also unacceptable that tickets are being sold without clear information on stadium accessibility, and that accessible tickets can be bought without proof of eligibility and resold on FIFA’s platform without any price cap. This enables speculation and exploitation, with accessibility tickets already appearing on resale for several times their face value.
Taken together, these decisions contradict FIFA’s Statutes, Human Rights Policy, and international human rights standards, including the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
FIFA must act urgently to:
- Substantially reduce accessible ticket prices
- Cap Accessibility ticket resale prices at face value
- Reinstate free companion tickets
- Engage directly with supporters with disabilities.
In November 2022, Gianni Infantino infamously and shamefully declared “Today, I feel disabled”. True inclusion requires action. It’s time for FIFA to move away from populistic statements and respect its own commitments.
Read the FSE letter to FIFA here.
