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FIFA has been continuously facing criticism ahead of the 2026 World Cup. Photo: Reuters . |
Newly released information reveals that FIFA has significantly changed the allocation and pricing of tickets for disabled fans at the World Cup. Under the new policy, tickets for this group of fans at the lowest price of £45 are no longer available. More notably, tickets for accompanying family members, which were free in previous World Cups, must now be purchased at full price.
At AT&T Stadium, where England and Croatia played their group stage match on June 17th, fans using wheelchairs had to pay a minimum of £198 for a ticket. Accompanying passengers also had to purchase tickets at the same price. This brought the minimum total cost for two people to £396 just to watch a group stage match.
Compared to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the difference is enormous. Back then, tickets for disabled fans cost only £8, while accompanying family members could enter the stadium for free. Thus, the current cost is almost 50 times higher. This figure immediately sparked strong reactions from disability rights organizations as well as the international fan community.
Many argue that the elimination of affordable tickets for disabled fans will severely restrict their access to the World Cup. Social organizations emphasize that the high cost is not only a financial issue but also goes against the spirit of inclusion and equality that FIFA frequently promotes in its media campaigns.
Amidst the wave of criticism, FIFA has yet to provide a detailed explanation for the policy change, beyond asserting that it is applying a flexible pricing model based on demand and venue. However, with the specific figures already released, the controversy surrounding ticket prices for disabled fans is likely to continue, putting further pressure on FIFA to reconsider its approach ahead of the World Cup.
Source: https://znews.vn/fifa-lai-gay-tranh-cai-du-doi-post1622589.html
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