FIFA faces a new controversy from the World Cup: after being accused of "betraying the tradition of the World Cup" for their new ticket policy, which prices going up according to demand and reaching desorbitant levels, they are now accused of discriminating people with disabilities, as the accessibility seating area is only available for the higher price categories of tickets.
Tickets for World Cup 2026 are divided into four categories, with the fourth one, the further seats, being the cheaper. However, there are not accessibility tickets in this category, so the cheapest ticket a fan with disability can access to would be between $140 and $450, via The Athletic.
For the final, the cheapest accessibility ticket would be $4,185, which they described as "totally unprecedented". In contrast, accessibility tickets for the Qatar 2022 World Cup cost $11.77, and allowed a free companion ticket.
But the worst is that accessibility tickets can be re-sold on FIFA's official resale platform without a price cap, and are apperaing at six times the original value.
The Disability & Inclusion Fan Network of Football Supporters Europe (FSE) sent a letter to FIFA urging to lower the prices: "People with disabilities across the world often face additional, unavoidable costs related to disability, including accessible transport, accommodation, equipment, and personal assistance. Extreme ticket prices therefore create a significant barrier to participation in what is meant to be a global celebration of football."
"This situation undermines the purpose of Accessibility Tickets and risks further excluding supporters with disabilities from access to the tournament", the Football Supporters Europe association said.