'Disgusting': Scotland fans hit out over price of World Cup adventure

Scottish football fans hoping to back the national team in next summer’s World Cup have been left “disgusted” at the price and availability of gold dust briefs.

It was revealed on Thursday that Scotland would receive fewer than 4,000 tickets for group games against Haiti, Morocco, and Brazil, which works out around 6% capacity of the stadiums they are being played in.

The cheapest tickets cost £134 and the most expensive come in at £524, with official travel partner Barrhead Travel having a three-match package, including flights and accommodation in Boston and Miami, on sale for over £14,000.

Tartan Army representatives have urged the Scottish Football Association to “stand up to FIFA” and back a halt to World Cup ticket sales.

Fans who do not receive any through the Scotland Supporters Club will have to deal with FIFA’s dynamic pricing model and resale costs, while optimistic supporters who want to ensure they back their team all the way in North America face shelling out thousands of pounds in advance.

The Association of Tartan Army Clubs (ATAC) branded the costs “disgraceful and disgusting” and said the fact FIFA would charge a refund fee for fans who book up for the knockout stages means it will “bleed the last cent from disillusioned supporters”.

A statement added: “This is going to price out many of our fans. FIFA have killed the dream of our young fans, desperate to get to a World Cup.

“The SFA must stand up to FIFA, together with other associations, to get FIFA to halt this sale and reconsider the prices for our supporters.

“This is our one and only chance to confront and change these scandalous prices. The SFA hold positions on various FIFA committees and we call on them to use those positions of influence to support the Tartan Army.

“Likewise, our SFA board needs to unite with other European Associations to apply pressure on FIFA over these unacceptable prices and push for positive change.”

Graeme Baxter from ATAC added: “The World Cup is meant to be a global festival of football, bringing together supporters from every nation.

“For supporters my age, this is the first opportunity we’ve had to support Scotland at one.

“Instead, FIFA has chosen to prioritise wealth and exclusivity and those with deep pockets, sidelining the hard‑working fans who travel thousands of miles to back their teams who don’t have the level of cash FIFA are demanding.

“ATAC stands firmly alongside Football Supporters Europe and supporters’ associations across Europe, calling for a rethink of these astronomical and unjustifiable prices.”

In a statement, the Scottish Football Supporters’ Association said: “We believe that it is time for the National Football Associations around the globe to hold FIFA to account for the excessive ticket prices, the poor level of ticket allocations( averaging just 5% ) of available tickets to their fans of qualifying countries and the unacceptable ‘dynamic pricing model’.”

John MacLean CEO of the SFSA said, “The SFA President Mike Mulraney, who has recently been appointed chair of The FIFA Finance Committee, is ideally placed to express the widespread disappointment of Scottish fans and indeed fans all around the world at ticket prices that are, in some cases, five times the cost in Qatar.”

SPFL Mediawatch wrote on X: “I’ve never seen quite this amount of Unity among football fans of every country than in disgust at this ticket prices.

“$1,330 for two people to see Scotland’s three games in the group stage – at minimum.

“Well done Infantino. Absolute charlatan.

“Some of us are old enough to remember when tickets from $21 were promised in the Bid Document.”

SNP MP Stephen Flynn said: “Fans are being fleeced. Football without fans is nothing.”

X user Dinsey said: “There should be a mass boycott of the World Cup by associations and fans of paying for tickets for the games.

“The pricing is a disgrace, FIFA pricing many average fans out of the game, which is probably what they’d prefer anyway.”

Another, named A, said: Zero chance of me going but imagine waiting pretty much your entire life to be able to watch Scotland in a World Cup and this happens… absolutely criminal.

“Gutted for everyone who’ll miss out because of the appalling allocation and disgusting prices.”