Key Takeaways
- Wheelchair users who secured match tickets cannot buy nearby seats for carers.
- Some caregiver seats were released to the general public without checking a disabled fan had bought first.
- Resale prices for accessible seats reach $3 100, up to three times the cost of ordinary tickets.
Fifa is facing heavy criticism over the way it sells tickets to disabled fans for the 2026 World Cup.
Supporters who use wheelchairs say they have been unable to buy companion seats for carers, even after months of trying. In some cases those helper seats have simply been put on open sale, allowing anyone to buy them without proof of need.
Prices have also jumped sharply. During the last tournament in Qatar, an accessible group-stage ticket started at roughly KES 1 400. This summer the cheapest equivalent seat costs between KES 19 000 and KES 61 000, a rise that one European fans’ group says can make attendance 38 times more expensive for disabled spectators.
On Fifa’s official resale site, easy-access tickets for England’s opener in Dallas were listed at $3 100 (about KES 403 000) while ordinary seats for the same match were $1 150 (about KES 150 000). Parking fees add further pain: $125 (KES 16 000) in Philadelphia and $300 (KES 39 000) in Los Angeles.
Emails to Fifa’s ticketing centre often bring only an automated reply, fans say. The governing body also admits it cannot promise that a carer will sit next to the person they are helping.
Disability campaigners first warned Fifa about these problems in December, yet supporters insist little has changed. Tony Taylor, chair of the charity Level Playing Field, called the situation “deeply concerning” and said charging for companion seats reverses previous policy that made the game inclusive.
Football Supporters Europe has lodged a formal complaint with the European Commission, arguing that Fifa’s system “enables speculation and exploitation”.
Fifa sources say United States law stops them demanding proof of disability, complicating sales, and they have limited power to cap resale prices. Even so, critics argue the world governing body must do far more to guarantee every fan, regardless of ability, can attend football’s flagship event.
