Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (UK), Keir Starmer, has called on Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) to make sure football fans buying World Cup tickets are not “ripped off”.
Taking to X, the UK PM said, “football fans should come first”.
The Sun reports:
The PM went studs up over the eye-watering costs and accused greedy bosses of “exploiting” fans.
We revealed yesterday how several US states have now launched legal action against the competition’s ruling body over possibly dubious pricing tactics.
Harry Kane’s Three Lions face muted travelling support as stadiums struggle to fill seats because of the mega prices.
Starmer said: “That’s why I’m urging FIFA to take action to ensure people buying World Cup tickets are not ripped off.”
He described football fans being “ripped off” as “unacceptable”, saying, they are being “exploited” simply for wanting to “cheer” their country at the tournament.
Starmer further said: “It’s unacceptable for fans to be exploited for wanting to cheer on their country on the biggest stage.”
The Sun further reports:
The cheapest tickets for England’s first group match inside the AT&T stadium in Arlington is still £524 despite failing to shift them.
More than 350,000 tickets are still unsold at the 80,000 venue across the nine matches it is hosting.
Lawyers in New York, New Jersey and California have called for answers while US Congress has also raised concerns about “potentially deceptive practices”, including restricting ticket supply in order to inflate prices.
Attorneys general for New York and New Jersey have formally subpoenaed Fifa officials to demand answers over rocketing prices and the “fake scarcity” of tickets.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 will kick off on 11 June, 2026 and conclude on 19 July, 2026. It will be hosted in the United States (US), Mexico and Canada.
Photo: Keir Starmer, Prime Minister of the UK
