FIFA has introduced cheaper World Cup tickets for national teams’ most loyal fans after an outcry over pricing erupted last week.
Football fans right across the globe have been furious about the prices being charged by Fifa for tickets for the tournament in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, as well as the system in which fans are having to pay in advance for matches their team may not play.
Fans who are part of national team travel clubs and loyalty schemes discovered last week that the cheapest available tickets for the final would be priced at more than £3000, while Scotland fans wishing to follow the team from the first match to the final would have to spend more than £5000 as a minimum, which must be paid in full by February.
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Money is then refunded minus a $60 fee.
Now, Fifa has announced that 10% of the participant member association (PMA) allocation for each match will be priced at $60 (£45), including for the final.
Scotland fans are to receive less than 4000 tickets for group games against Haiti, Morocco, and Brazil – about 6% of stadia capacity in Boston and Miami.
Fans who do not receive any through the Scotland Supporters Club will have to deal with Fifa's dynamic pricing model and resale costs.
The decision follows meetings between senior officials in Doha this week, where federations – including the Football Association – are understood to have shared concerns about the pricing model.
A FIFA official close to the discussions said: “Demand for tickets has been off the scale, more than 20 million requests so far in this latest phase. We have listened to feedback, and this new category is the right thing to do.
“Making $60 tickets available to more fans, including the most loyal ones who travel, was agreed on unanimously.
“Associations will need to work out who best should receive them. It’s a unique tournament and a unique market in the USA, in particular, which allows resales on secondary platforms. The demand is sky high.
“No organisation does more to support the development of the game around the world than FIFA. All 211 associations, including the poorest countries, will benefit from a commercially successful World Cup.“
SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, and Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay all called out the price of tickets on BBC Question Time last week describing it as "deliberate fleecing" and "outrageous".
Green MSP Gillian Mackay also said the pricing is "disgraceful", adding that the SFA must stand up for fans.
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