World Cup tickets aren’t worth getting into debt for, Scotland fans told
Scotland manager Steve Clarke has urged fans not to rack up debt following his team at the 2026 World Cup, amid criticism of sky-high ticket prices.
The Tartan Army is expected to travel in numbers to the US next summer to see Scotland play in a first men’s World Cup for 28 years, where supporters face paying at least £500 for three group games and potentially much more via Fifa’s secondary ticketing platform.
“Tickets are going to be tight,” said Clarke. “The Scottish FA have taken the full allocation of eight per cent of capacity. I’m sure it’ll be used.
“My biggest wish is that the fans who travel everywhere, who go all the far-flung places, can afford to get the tickets and get the chance to get the tickets so they can be there because those supporters deserve to be there.
“One of my biggest wishes is that people don’t put themselves too much into debt trying to buy tickets. Even the cheapest ones look to be pretty pricey.”
World Cup ticket prices ‘eye-watering’ – Clarke
Fifa’s ticket pricing for the World Cup has been widely condemned, with supporters’ groups calling them “laughably insulting”.
Once flights are included, the cost of following England or Scotland all the way to the final would top £7,000 based on current prices, which are only likely to rise.
The face-value price of the cheapest seat at the World Cup final is more than £3,000, and Clarke admitted “some of the figures are eye-watering”.
He added: “But listen, it’s a World Cup, Fifa will tell you they’ve had 5m applications for 2m tickets, which shows you the will is there, people want to be there.
“If you go on holiday to America, it’s expensive. It’s going to be expensive, just make sure people don’t put themselves into too much debt. That’s one thing I would say.”