Fifa to release more World Cup tickets amid fan fury over new higher prices

Fifa will release more World Cup tickets on Wednesday (Getty)

Fifa is set to release more World Cup tickets, but the move comes amid a growing backlash from fans over the introduction of new, more expensive seating categories.

Football's governing body announced on Tuesday that additional tickets for all 104 matches will become available on Wednesday at 11am EDT (4pm BST). These include seats in Categories 1, 2, and 3, alongside the recently introduced "front category" pricing.

This new category has sparked considerable online criticism, with supporters alleging that superior seats in the categories they had already purchased were withheld, resulting in them being allocated less desirable locations.

Fifa initially offered tickets in December, with prices $140 (£104) for Category 3 in the first round to $8,680 (£6,400) for the final, then raised prices to as much as $10,990 (£8,140) when sales reopened on April 1. The organisation did not respond to a request for comment on 9 April regarding these new ticket categories.

There has been backlash over ticket and train travel prices (AFP/Getty)

Adding to the challenges, The Athletic reported on Tuesday that ticket sales are lagging for the US opener against Paraguay on 12 June in Inglewood, California.

A document distributed to local organisers on 10 April indicated that only 40,934 tickets had been bought for the US-Paraguay fixture, and 50,661 for the Iran-New Zealand match on 15 April.

Fifa estimates SoFi Stadium's World Cup capacity at approximately 69,650, though this figure may be subject to change.

During the December sale, $1,120, $1,940 and $2,735, and Iran-New Zealand seats at $140, $380 and $450.

There has also been criticism in recent days over the price of train tickets in some World Cup host cities for this summer’s tournaments.

It was announced last week that a return fare from central New York to New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium will cost $150 (£111).