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FIFA President Gianni Infantino: (2022 FIFA World Cup) For the first time in history, no Brit was arrested during a World Cup. Imagine! This is something really special.
This one is quite staggering. An insult to the supporters this impacts. The last PR stunt has done nothing to make the noise go away. There is still time to do the right thing by all supporters of national associations. @FIFAWorldCup
Judging by last night’s triumphalist “5m ticket requests” statement, FIFA doesn’t sound in the mood for any immediate re-think on the excessive ticket prices for the World Cup. Nor is the FA likely to stand up to FIFA. But all parties - administrators, organisers, national associations - have to work more closely with fans’ groups to avoid a repeat in the future. And listen to them. Just because this World Cup is (predominantly) in the US doesn’t mean FIFA should always embrace the Wild West ethos. It will doubtless be a great World Cup - so many good teams and players, fascinating countries and eye-catching venues, drama aplenty and with the greatest prize in sport at stake - but it will also be tarnished by the creed of greed that defines the ticketing policy. This ticketing fiasco - real and PR - could have been avoided with better consultation with fans, with more judicious thinking and by Gianni Infantino remembering that the game without fans is nothing. So treat them with respect. So here’s a suggestion which I’ve run by some England fans. If FIFA cared more about supporters and atmosphere it would commit to a fairer, larger and non-changeable official ticket allocation per team in the future. Embedded in its statutes, stipulated in bid documents. Non-changeable. Imagine if Fifa committed in the future to, say, 15% of capacity for each participating team. If this criteria had been in place for 2026 … that would have been a fairer 10,500 for England and Croatia each in 70,000-capacity Dallas. At a fair, non-changeable price agreed with associations of, say, between £60-£80 group stage. 21,000 real fans, members of their national associations’ supporters’ clubs, would generate the atmosphere that television wants and pays for. Fans would be more inclined to spend on merch if not feeling ripped off on tickets. It would give fans more incentive to attend qualifying games home or away at a time when qualifying loses some of its edge with so many teams getting through to expanded competitions. It would also reduce accusations of greed being launched at FIFA, a “not-for-profit organisation”. Football deserves better. #FIFAWorldCup
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐨. 🔥🇦🇷 ➡️ Book quick: bit.ly/3cwKxqr
DO NOT USE HOMEFANS. Last year a good mate of mine went on a trip of a life time to watch the Superclasico in Buenos Aires with HomeFans.. The day of the game, they were told they didn’t have tickets as HomeFans didn’t buy them in the first place.. Today, another mate of mine has just been let down hours before kick-off in Argentina with HomeFans once again failing to supply tickets. Ridiculous.