Tickets originally bought by England fans for the World Cup last-16 game against Mexico are being resold for as much as £26,220 each on Fifa's official resale portal – a staggering 57 times their face value. The Football Association confirmed the tickets were purchased through the England Supporters' Travel Club ballot after the draw in December. Four tickets listed together, with a face value of £460 each, are now priced at £22,800 each, with a 15% Fifa fee for the buyer taking the total to £26,220. The seller pays Fifa a 15% fee of £3,420 per ticket but still pockets £19,380 profit each. The cheapest ticket available costs £2,620 – nearly 12 times its £224 face value.
The Football Supporters' Association condemned Fifa's “greed” while also criticising supporters who listed tickets at “ridiculous prices”. “Fifa has deliberately designed an online exchange which allows tickets to be sold at vastly inflated prices with world football's governing body grabbing 15% of the money from both the buyer and the seller,” a statement read. “In Fifa's world, greed is good, and they'll reap the rewards.” The FSA called for Fifa to give the FA more control over the official allocation to prevent exploitation.
“England fans face £26,220 ticket resales and possible 4am finish as Fifa moves Mexico clash due to storms.”
Meanwhile, England face further disruption as Fifa plans to move the kick-off time seven hours earlier – from 1am UK time to 7pm – due to the threat of thunderstorms and flooding in Mexico City. The FA only learned about the change from the media and is “deeply concerned” about the impact on fans' travel to the Azteca Stadium and on Thomas Tuchel's squad preparations at 2,240 metres above sea level. Fifa has not officially confirmed the switch, and neither the FA nor the Mexican Football Federation has received confirmation.
If the early kick-off goes ahead, the government had confirmed pubs could stay open until 5am for the original 1am start – extended licensing no longer needed. But a separate nightmare scenario looms: the game could finish after 4am UK time if played at the original time, given the potential for extra time and penalties. Thousands of London fans face a late night – or an early morning – with no certainty over when the match will actually end.