The beautiful game has an ugly price tag. Fifa, the global football governing body, is under investigation for its World Cup ticket pricing strategy, a move that has sparked fury among British supporters. For the average fan, a seat at the tournament’s marquee matches now costs more than a quarterly dividend from a FTSE 100 blue chip.
The investigation, launched by the Competition and Markets Authority, will scrutinise whether Fifa has abused its monopoly position to inflate prices. It’s a classic market failure: a single supplier, inelastic demand, and a captive audience willing to pay anything to see their heroes. But British fans, long accustomed to the high cost of Premier League tickets, are finally saying ‘enough’.
They are demanding fair play, not just on the pitch but in the wallet. The question is whether Fifa, a tax-exempt organisation with reserves that would make a central banker blush, will listen. The regulator’s inquiry will focus on the secondary market, where touts and bots have hoarded tickets, driving up prices.
Fifa’s own platform, which crashed repeatedly during the initial sale, only added to the chaos. For the City, this is a case study in price discrimination. For the fan, it’s a kick in the teeth.
The outcome could reshape how major sporting events are marketed and sold, potentially capping prices or mandating transparent resale markets. Until then, British supporters will continue to vote with their feet, or rather, their bank accounts.
