UEFA is set to broadly freeze ticket prices for the upcoming Euro 2028 tournament, highlighting a dramatic contrast in affordability when compared to the staggering costs facing supporters at the next World Cup in North America. Astonishingly, a single stadium parking space at the World Cup will cost roughly the equivalent of five European Championship tickets.
Scheduled to take place across England, Scotland, Wales, and the Republic of Ireland, Euro 2028 will see 40 percent of its seating allocated to the highly affordable "Fans First" tiers. Taking cues from Euro 2024 in Germany, where the lowest-priced group stage tickets went for £26 (€30) and £52 (€60), European football's governing body plans to keep base prices beneath the £30 and £60 thresholds.
To offset these accessible prices for the general public, UEFA intends to offer a limited number of premium VIP+ packages. The revenue generated from these high-end sales will essentially subsidize the "Fans First" categories, ensuring everyday supporters aren't priced out of the highly anticipated event. While standard seating will be divided into four pricing tiers, exact costs for the higher-end general admission tickets—which ran between £130 and £174 during Euro 2024—have yet to be officially finalized.
This fan-friendly approach sits in stark contrast to FIFA's highly controversial pricing strategy for the 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Initially, the cheapest group-stage tickets for England matches were set at a hefty £167 ($220), soaring up to £523 ($700) for premium seats. Following intense backlash from fan organizations, FIFA eventually introduced a severely limited batch of £45 ($60) tickets across the tournament's 104 matches.
However, even with those minor concessions, the peripheral costs of attending the World Cup remain astronomical. Recent reports indicate that the average parking spot at an American World Cup venue will set fans back £133 ($175). At MetLife Stadium near New York, parking for a group-stage clash reaches an eye-watering £171 ($225).
At those exorbitant rates, a supporter could comfortably attend all three of their team's group-stage matches at Euro 2028 for significantly less than the cost of parking a car at a single World Cup game. To further accommodate loyal followers, UEFA has additionally pledged to reserve a dedicated block of 10,000 tickets per competing nation for all group-stage fixtures.