The European consumer organisation Euroconsumers and Football Supporters Europe are filing a complaint against world football governing body FIFA "over unfair sales practices" in ticket sales for the 2026 World Cup.
The organisations – which include Belgium's Testachats – argue that consumer protection rules and European competition rules have been breached, in a press release on Tuesday.
They point to the lack of transparency in pricing and the complex "dynamic pricing" system, which results in very few tickets being offered in the cheapest category. According to the organisations, there are even "misleading sales practices."
The fact that FIFA charges high resale fees is also a thorn in the side of the complainants. In their view, the football association holds a dominant position in the ticket market.
"For millions of supporters, the World Cup is a unique event, one they have sometimes been dreaming of for years. That is why tickets must be accessible to everyone under fair and transparent conditions," they said. "Unfortunately, this does not appear to be the case."
With this complaint, they are calling on the European Commission to launch a thorough investigation and take action. To prevent irreversible harm to consumers, they are also calling for "urgent measures regarding the tickets that are yet to be sold."
The FIFA World Cup will take place from 11 June to 19 July in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The Belgian Red Devils are also taking part.
