England's World Cup opener still unsold five days out as FIFA's ticket prices backfire

Hundreds of tickets for England’s World Cup opener against Croatia remain unsold just five days before kick-off, with prices on official and resale platforms starting at $867 (£648) and climbing as high as $9,225 (£6,900) for a VIP hospitality package.

The situation compounds an already difficult week for FIFA, whose ticketing strategy has drawn sustained criticism for months. That criticism turned visible on Friday when thousands of empty seats were on show during the tournament’s second game between South Korea and the Czech Republic.

England are considered one of the best-supported nations at any major tournament, making the unsold inventory for their opener particularly striking. On resale platforms, tickets for their second group game against Ghana in Boston range from £423 to £4,354, while the lowest available price for the Panama fixture sits at £513, rising to £6,678 at the top end. Hospitality packages listed directly on FIFA’s website range from $2,430 (£1,811) to $3,150 (£2,347).

FIFA president Gianni Infantino defended the organisation’s commercial approach this week, arguing that tournament revenue is reinvested into the global game. “Every dollar that comes in goes back into the development of football,” Infantino said. “We have one competition every four years that generates revenue. That 47 other months we are investing this revenue in the growth of the game, nobody else is doing that. This allows us to maintain free TV — we could put everything on pay and generate £30 billion probably, but then you have billions around the world who can’t watch the World Cup.”

FIFA has previously reduced some ticket prices in an attempt to boost attendance, but even the cheapest group-stage matches for less prominent fixtures are still listed above $300 (£223), before fans factor in flights and accommodation costs that have also surged.

The Football Supporters Association’s Fan Embassy raised the alarm as far back as February. “Surprise surprise FIFA are finding out that supporters will turn their backs on ludicrous prices, however prestigious the game,” the organisation said in a statement. “Thousands of pounds for any football match is beyond greedy. The most loyal fans, be they English supporters or those of any other nationality, are being priced out. FIFA needs to change direction. Atmosphere-free stands shorn of fans from across the planet do not make a ‘World’ Cup.”