Euroconsumers and Football Supporters Europe have lodged a complaint with the European Commission against FIFA, asserting an alleged abuse of monopoly power in the ticketing process for the 2026 World Cup, scheduled across the USA, Canada, and Mexico from June 11th to July 19th.
The European consumer advocacy organization, Euroconsumers, in collaboration with the fan association Football Supporters Europe, has directed their grievance towards the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) to the European Commission. The central issue motivating this action is FIFA’s purported misuse of its dominant position concerning the allocation of tickets for the 2026 World Cup matches. As reported by Politico, the submission highlights a potential contravention of Article 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which prohibits the exploitation of a dominant market position.
“FIFA maintains sole control over the distribution of tickets for the football World Cup. They leverage this authority to set pricing tiers that would be absent in a competitive marketplace, all while withholding crucial details from consumers and employing manipulative tactics to hurry them into making immediate purchasing decisions,” stated Romane Armangaud, a spokesperson for Euroconsumers.
The upcoming global football tournament is set to take place between June 11 and July 19. This edition will feature an expanded roster of 48 national squads, with contests spread across venues in the United States, Canada, and Mexico—marking the first time these three nations will jointly host the event.
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