In a statement, the European fan umbrella group wrote that prices for tickets allocated to Participating Member Associations (PMA) – typically distributed via official supporters' clubs or loyalty schemes – had reached "astronomical" levels.

FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

FSE said, based on price tables quietly circulated to national associations, a supporter following their team from the first group match through to the final via the PMA route would pay at least $US6,900 ($10,362), almost five times the equivalent cost at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

FSE said national team supporters were being asked to pay the full amount in early 2026 in order to secure the right to buy tickets all the way to the final.

Adding to fans' frustration, FSE said the lowest price category – Category 4 – would not be made available to the most loyal supporters through their associations, with FIFA reserving those tickets for general public sales and subjecting them to dynamic pricing.

The group called that decision a "monumental betrayal" of FIFA World Cup tradition and of the contribution of travelling supporters to the tournament's atmosphere.

"For the prices that have been put up by FIFA, we're a bit stunned," FSE Executive Director Ronan Evain said.

"This is a handful of people who are trying to make as much money as possible from the tournament. And we believe this approach is putting the very nature of the tournament at risk.

"For the final, tickets are going up to about $4,000 ($6,007). You need fans, you need the life in the stands, you need the colour, you need the atmosphere. With these prices, none of this will happen."

The Football Supporters Association, a representative body for fans in England and Wales, said it had asked England's Football Association to lobby FIFA.

"Prices for England's matches have been set as some of the highest, priced at $7,020 ($10,543) if you want to follow the team from start through to the final," a statement read.

"We back Football Supporters Europe in calling for a halt in ticket sales and we are calling on the FA to work with fellow FAs to directly challenge these disgraceful prices."

For the first time at a FIFA World Cup, FSE claims, there will be no consistent prices across all group-stage games, with FIFA instead introducing variable pricing based on opaque notions such as the "attractiveness" of a fixture.

That means fans of different teams could pay different amounts for the same category of ticket at the same stage, with little transparency on how prices are set.

Evain said the new structure would push many ordinary fans beyond what they can afford, particularly families.

"A lot of people that were hesitating in travelling to the U.S. are now saying they need to take an extraordinary financial risk, especially if you're a family," he said.

"We are in the region of $30,000 [$45,054] for a family of four. The vast majority of football fans can't afford this, even in Europe."

FSE urged FIFA to pause PMA ticket sales and open consultations with member associations, supporters' groups and other stakeholders "until a solution that respects the tradition, universality and cultural significance of the [FIFA] World Cup is found".