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EU Fans File Antitrust Complaint Over World Cup Tickets as FIFA Sets Final Sales for April 1

The case could force changes to FIFA’s demand-based pricing and disclosures in the last sales window.

Overview

  • Football Supporters Europe and Euroconsumers lodged a complaint Tuesday with the European Commission alleging FIFA abused a ticketing monopoly through opaque dynamic pricing and scarce low-cost options.
  • The filing asks regulators to order FIFA to drop demand-based pricing, freeze April sale prices at December levels, and publish how many tickets remain in each category 48 hours before sales open.
  • The European Commission confirmed receipt and said it will review the claims under standard procedures with the option to open a formal antitrust case, and it gave no timetable for a decision.
  • FIFA announced Wednesday that the final public sale will start April 1 at 5 p.m. local time with seat selection, and it did not address pricing changes or the new complaint in its notice.
  • Complainants point to final tickets starting near $4,185 and to FIFA’s resale site showing six‑figure listings with 15% fees for both buyer and seller, while FIFA cites almost seven million tickets offered and 508 million requests.