FIFA are being forced to deal with the fact that nearly 180,000 tickets are still up for grabs just days before the World Cup gets under way. The World Cup begins on Thursday against a backdrop of sociopolitical controversy.

While there have been security worries following several incidents, including a shooting close to England’s training base, top referee Omar Artan was denied entry to the United States days before the tournament starts.

Ticket pricing has also proved a major talking point, with exceptionally steep costs leaving supporters priced out unless they stump up a sizable sum. Seats for the final were reportedly listed at close to $33,000 (£24,600), though prices are now tumbling as demand falters.

Tickets for the United States’ opener against Paraguay show more than 4,400 seats still available through official channels. Despite significant reductions, the average ticket price quoted on the site for the fixture still exceeds $800 (£597), while the cheapest remaining tickets available directly from FIFA cost $1,120 (£836).

FIFA’s resale portal currently lists 176,000 tickets for the opening “group” phase of the tournament. On FIFA’s official platform, approximately 15,000 tickets remain on sale for group-stage matches.

The initial hefty costs and the introduction of the widely criticised dynamic pricing model, which adjusts prices according to demand, have drawn fierce criticism from both supporters and politicians alike. New York and New Jersey authorities have since launched investigations into the “impossibly high” ticket prices.

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The pricing has left thousands of seats in danger of remaining empty when matches get under way, which would prove embarrassing for FIFA.

The governing body had previously praised the strong appetite for World Cup tickets, announcing in January that its ticketing website had received in excess of 500 million booking requests.

FIFA had expected to raise more than $3 billion (£2.24billion) from ticket and hospitality sales throughout the tournament — over three times the figure achieved at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Despite functioning primarily for financial gain and systematic profit generation, FIFA remains legally registered as a non-profit organisation.

FIFA has maintained its ticketing approach encompassed “a broad range of price points”. Nevertheless, following widespread criticism of steep prices and flagging sales, a limited number of more affordable tickets have subsequently been released.

In the end, vacant seats would represent an embarrassment for FIFA. Throughout the past month, the average ticket price on the official reseller portal has fallen by 20 per cent, and with a 26 per cent resale fee, the majority of resales are likely to result in a loss.

The five-week 2026 World Cup is being hosted across the U.S., Mexico, and Canada and gets under way on Thursday, June 11.