FIFA faces fan backlash over new, higher-priced World Cup ticket categories

New York. The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) has announced the release of additional tickets for the World Cup. However, dissatisfaction among fans has grown after FIFA introduced new, more expensive ticket categories. According to a notice issued on Tuesday, additional tickets for all 104 matches under categories 1, 2, and 3 will be available starting Wednesday at 11:00 AM (EDT). 

This includes the newly added 'Front Category' pricing structure. Since the introduction of the new category, many fans have complained online. They argue that better seats appear to have been withheld from the initial ticket releases, leaving them with less desirable options.

Previously, when ticket sales opened in December, prices for Category 3 started at $140 and went up to $8,680 for the final. However, when sales reopened on April 1, some ticket prices increased to as much as $10,990.

Ticket sales also appear to be falling short of expectations. According to The Athletic, sales for the opening match between the United States men's national soccer team and the Paraguay men's national soccer team have been sluggish. As of April 10, only about 40,934 tickets had been sold. Similarly, it was reported that 50,661 tickets had been sold for the match between the Iran national team and the New Zealand national team as of April 15.

These matches will be held at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, which has an estimated seating capacity of approximately 69,650. Based on the prices announced in December, tickets for the US vs. Paraguay match were priced at $1,120, $1,940, and $2,735, while tickets for the Iran vs. New Zealand match were made available at $140, $380, and $450.