England fans hoping to watch their team face Lionel Messi in Wednesday's World Cup semi-final are being asked to pay up to £214,927 for a single ticket – a price that has sparked accusations of exploitation against FIFA.
A screenshot posted by supporters' account England_Tic showed 'supporter value' tier seats listed on FIFA's official resale website at $287,500 (£214,927). Even the cheapest category-four resold tickets ranged from $3,105 (£2,321) to $40,250 (£30,000). The account said: 'Once in a lifetime. Bucket list stuff. The games where FIFA can exploit 'the beautiful game' and it's passionate fanbases.' It added that a 15% fee charged by FIFA to both buyer and seller would amount to $1,121 on the cheapest ticket, concluding: 'FIFA don't want supporters to attend they want them to sell their tickets. #greed.'
“England fans face £214,927 tickets for semi-final vs Argentina; O'Reilly calls facing Messi 'once-in-a-lifetime'.”
On the pitch, the price of a ticket is not the only thing at a premium. England left-back Nico O'Reilly is relishing what he calls a 'once-in-a-lifetime opportunity' to face Messi, who at 39 may never play against England again. The Manchester City defender, who made his England debut last November, told BBC Radio 5 Live: 'For me personally, he's the best player to ever touch a football pitch. And yeah, I can't wait for the challenge.'
Messi began the tournament with a hat-trick against Algeria, becoming the all-time leading World Cup goalscorer with 16, equalling Miroslav Klose's record from 2014. He has since scored five more, taking his tally to 21 and putting him joint-top with Kylian Mbappe in the Golden Boot race on eight goals. Argentina reached the semi-finals by beating Switzerland 3-1 after extra time, a game that saw Breel Embolo sent off after a mistaken identity ruling. England booked their place with a draining 2-1 win over Norway in Miami heat, thanks to a Jude Bellingham double.
But England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford warned against focusing solely on Messi. 'We all know how good Messi is but we also know how good Argentina are,' he said on Monday. 'We can't solely rely on [stopping] Messi. We've got to focus on their other strengths and the weaknesses we can take advantage of.'
Adding to Argentina's concerns, Messi received treatment during a hydration break after suffering a knock, according to an injury update. The winner of Wednesday's semi-final will face either France or Spain in Sunday's final at the New York New Jersey Stadium. But for fans, the battle to get in the door may already be lost.
