World Cup should not be about ‘making as much money as possible’ – Swinney

John Swinney has said the World Cup must be a “celebration of football” and not an exercise in “making as much money as possible”.

The First Minister had earlier written to football’s governing body Fifa, urging it to implement a “fair, affordable ticketing model for fans”.

In a letter to president Gianni Infantino, Mr Swinney said World Cup games had become unaffordable due to the dynamic pricing model which has seen some tickets cost thousands of pounds.

The Scotland men’s national team are returning to the tournament this summer after qualifying for the first time since 1998.

During a visit to Whitelee wind farm in East Renfrewshire, Mr Swinney was asked if any action on ticket prices would be too late for this year’s World Cup.

He told the Press Association: “I think it’s really important that the Tartan Army are able to access the World Cup final tickets at an affordable price level.

“I think some of the examples and information that we’re seeing are that’s not the consideration that’s gone in from Fifa.

“So I’ve written to the Fifa president to make the case for there to be an affordable approach to ticketing for the World Cup, so that it’s a celebration of football and not an exercise just in making as much money as possible.”

A Fifa spokesperson said earlier: “Fifa is focused on ensuring fair access to our game for existing but also prospective fans, and offered group stage tickets starting at 60 dollars (£45.48), a very competitive price point for a major global sporting event in the US.

“Fifa has confirmed that fans of the national teams that have qualified for the Fifa World Cup 2026 would also benefit from a dedicated ticket pricing tier, which has been designed to make following their teams on football’s greatest stage more affordable.

“The supporter entry tier is available at the fixed price of 60 dollars per ticket for each of the 104 matches, including the final.”

Fifa said the distribution of these entry tier tickets was a matter for member associations.

The spokesperson added: “For the Fifa World Cup 2026, Fifa has established a ticket sales and secondary market model that reflects standard ticket market practices for major sporting and entertainment events across the host countries.

“Fifa’s resale marketplace provides a safe, transparent and secure environment for fans to sell or transfer tickets to other fans.

“The applicable resale facilitation fees are aligned with industry standards across North American sports and entertainment sectors.”