Six days after the World Cup began, England will finally walk out at Dallas Stadium on Wednesday – and up to 15,000 fans are expected to be there, draping the St George’s Cross across the stands. But for many, the long wait has come at a cost.
The United Kingdom Football Policing Unit estimates that between 12,000 and 15,000 supporters will attend each group game. The official England Supporters’ Travel Club sold its allocation of 4,022 tickets, but a few have already appeared on Fifa’s resale site at inflated prices. Across the tournament, 89,000 tickets have been purchased by fans from England, though that figure covers all 104 matches.
“Up to 15,000 England fans head to Dallas for World Cup opener amid ticket price controversy”
The price rise has been sharp. For England’s opener against Croatia, group-stage tickets went on sale for £198, £373 or £523 – a significant jump from the £68.50 price in Qatar four years ago. On the resale market, the cheapest category one ticket has remained around £1,310, while a category two ticket rose from £874 in April to £1,254 by Tuesday. Thomas Concannon, who leads the Football Supporters’ Association’s England fans’ group, said in April that many were holding on, hoping prices would drop. On Friday there were 984 tickets listed for the game; by Tuesday there were just 293.
Manager Thomas Tuchel, who will lead the Three Lions in the World Cup opener, faces major selection headaches. He must choose between Marcus Rashford and Anthony Gordon on the left, and between Morgan Rogers and Jude Bellingham in the No. 10 role. In defence, John Stones, Ezri Konsa and Marc Guehi are vying for two places. Captain Harry Kane is fully fit and spearheading the attack for his third successive World Cup.
Croatia, meanwhile, have their own decisions. Manager Zlatko Dalić is reportedly considering starting local FC Dallas striker Petar Musa over veteran Andrej Kramarić, while 40-year-old captain Luka Modrić is set to anchor the midfield in his historic fifth World Cup appearance.
The two teams have a heated history. Croatia beat England 2-1 in extra time in the 2018 semi-final, while the Three Lions earned revenge with a 1-0 win in the Euro 2020 group stage. Across 11 meetings, England have won six, Croatia three, with two draws.
With ticket prices soaring and fans still scrambling, Wednesday’s grudge match carries extra weight – both on the pitch and in the wallets of those determined to be there.