FIFA slammed by England fans after only 4,000 tickets allocated for first World Cup game

According to The Sun, England supporters received only 4,000 seats for the match against Croatia on June 18. The figure has shocked many fans, as England are expected to bring tens - if not hundreds - of thousands of supporters to the United States in their quest to win their first World Cup.

The anger has been amplified by the size of the venue. With a capacity of approximately 70,000, and with both teams receiving only around 4,000 tickets each, the majority of seats will be sold to fans worldwide through FIFA’s official ticketing platform.

The situation has frustrated England fans even more when compared to other allocations. Curaçao, a Caribbean nation, reportedly received 4,300 tickets for their first-ever World Cup match against Germany. With England’s population close to 64 million compared to Curaçao’s roughly 156,000, many supporters see the comparison as unfair.

One fan wrote on X: “This takes the biscuit. You couldn’t make it up. We’ll take the most fans to the US of any competing team, but a tiddly island has got more tickets than us. It beggars belief. FIFA should have given us a bigger number of tickets to reflect our fan base.”

Chris Howle, a supporter from south-west London, added: “FIFA are taking the mickey now. Why couldn’t they consider the size of a country’s travelling support and give us more tickets?”

Ticket prices have also been a major source of frustration. World Cup tickets have reportedly risen to more than €1,000 in some categories. Following one team through the entire tournament could cost fans up to £10,000 - more than double the cost of the previous World Cup. For many supporters, the issue is not just the price, but the lack of any realistic opportunity to buy tickets.

England will compete in Group L at the 2026 World Cup alongside Croatia, Ghana and Panama. Their group-stage fixtures are scheduled for 3:00 AM on June 18 (Croatia), 3:00 AM on June 24 (Ghana) and 4:00 AM on June 28 (Panama), GMT+7. At present, Thomas Tuchel’s side are considered among the favourites to win the tournament, alongside Spain.