For England fans, the 2026 World Cup has been a long time coming. Their team kicks off six days after the tournament started, but now the first wave of supporters is arriving in Dallas, Texas. Official travel club allocations sold out quickly, and resale prices are soaring—meaning thousands of fans are either forking out huge sums or heading out without tickets, hoping to soak up the atmosphere.
The basics: England's first group match is against Croatia on Wednesday, June 17, at 9pm BST, broadcast live on ITV1 in the UK. The game takes place at the Dallas Stadium. The official England Supporters' Travel Club (ESTC) had just 4,022 tickets to sell, and those went fast. The United Kingdom Football Policing Unit (UKFPU) expects between 12,000 and 15,000 England fans at each group stage game, with 89,000 World Cup tickets purchased by fans from England across all 104 matches. That figure doesn't include supporters who travel to the United States without buying tickets.
“England fans face high ticket prices and long travel for the 2026 World Cup opener against Croatia.”
Background: England have a long history of sending large travelling support to major tournaments. The high point was the 2006 World Cup in Germany, when the UKFPU estimated 350,000 fans made the short trip. For Qatar 2022, only about 4,000 went, while 20,000 to 30,000 is a more usual figure. This year's tournament in the US, Canada and Mexico is a big logistical challenge—flights and accommodation are expensive, and ticket prices have sparked controversy.
Why it matters for UK readers: Millions of England fans at home will be watching the opener, but many will also be considering travelling to the US for later games. The price of tickets has become a major talking point: for the Croatia match, tickets originally cost £198, £373 or £523. On the official FIFA resale site, the cheapest category one ticket recently stood at around £1,310, while a category two ticket that cost £874 in April had risen to £1,254 by matchweek. The resale site charges an extra 15% on top. For fans who didn't get a ticket through the ESTC, these inflated prices have made attending a group game a luxury.
Q: How many England fans are expected at the World Cup? The UK Football Policing Unit estimates 12,000 to 15,000 England fans will attend each group stage match. Overall, 89,000 World Cup tickets have been purchased by fans from England, though most will go to multiple games.
Q: How much do England World Cup tickets cost? For England's opener against Croatia, official prices were £198, £373 or £523. On FIFA's resale site, prices have risen sharply: category one tickets start around £1,310, and category two tickets have increased from £874 in April to £1,254 by matchweek.
Q: How can I watch England vs Croatia in the UK? The match kicks off at 9pm BST on Wednesday, June 17, and will be shown live on ITV1. It can also be streamed via ITVX.
What happens next: England's World Cup campaign begins against Croatia. After that, they face further group matches before the knockout stages. Fans without tickets for future games will be watching the resale market, where prices may fluctuate depending on demand and results.