Table of Contents
- Ticket Allocation Controversy
- Curacao's Advantage
- Reactions from Fans
- FIFA's Ticket Policy
- Conclusion
ENGLAND has been given fewer tickets by FIFA for their World Cup opener than the tournament's smallest nation, Curacao, which has a population smaller than that of Milton Keynes.
Fans will be vying for just 4,022 seats for their match — the same number allocated to their Group L opponents.
England fans will be competing for just 4,022 seats for their first World Cup match in Dallas on June 17 at the 70,122-seat AT&T Stadium, shown aboveCredit: Getty
England fans eager to support Harry Kane’s Three Lions have been allocated fewer tickets by FIFA for their World Cup opener than the tournament's smallest nation, CuracaoCredit: Getty
Curacao star striker Jurgen Locadia and his teammates will be supported by 4,307 fans — despite having a population of 156,000 and being the size of the Isle of WightCredit: Getty
This is surprising given that England has a population of 58.6 million, with hundreds of thousands of supporters expected to travel to the tournament next summer.
In contrast, the Dutch Caribbean island of Curacao — with a population of 156,000 and comparable in size to the Isle of Wight — received 4,307 seats for their first-ever World Cup match against.
This allocation is 285 more than the dedicated supporters of England, who are second favorites behind to win the tournament.
If Curacao sells all their tickets, approximately one in every 36 of their population will be able to attend their Group E game on June 14.
Conversely, only one in every 14,570 English fans will have the opportunity to cheer on the Three Lions as they kick off their campaign.
Football fans have expressed their outrage at the tournament organizers over this situation.
Neil Robinson, 48, a facilities manager from Watford, Herts, stated: “This is unbelievable. You couldn’t make it up.
“We will bring the largest fan base to the US of any competing team, yet a tiny island has received more tickets than us. It’s hard to comprehend.”
FIFA is truly out of touch. Why didn’t they consider the size of a country’s traveling support and provide us with more tickets?
AFC Wimbledon fan Chris Howle
“FIFA should have allocated us a larger number of tickets to reflect our fan base.”
Chris Howle, 54, a computer programmer from Wandsworth, South West London, added: “FIFA is really out of touch. Why didn’t they factor in the size of a country’s traveling support and grant us more tickets?”
Curacao, known for its orange-flavored liqueur of the same name, became a nation after gaining autonomy from the Netherlands in 2010.
The hopes of the nation rest on star striker Jurgen Locadia, who was signed by Brighton for £15 million and played there from 2018 to 2022.
Curacao, known as the Blue Wave, received a larger allocation than England despite their opener being held in a smaller stadium than England’s first game.
They will play at Houston's 68,311-capacity venue, while England will compete at the 70,122-seat AT&T Stadium in.
FIFA states that it allocates approximately eight percent of a stadium’s capacity to fans of each team.
However, England's dedicated supporters are still expected to fill stadiums wherever they play as they seek tickets through various sites for the matches.
They may have to pay at least double what they did for the Qatar 2022 World Cup, with some tickets priced at £10,000.
Yesterday, an FA insider mentioned that they would likely request more tickets from FIFA once England's initial allocation is sold out.
The initial ticket application window remains open until January 13, 2026
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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