FIFA has released a batch of ‘more affordable tickets’ for next summer’s World Cup following backlash over their initial pricing structure.World Football’s governing body announced on Tuesday that the cheapest tickets will now be available for a cut-price $60 (£45) for all 104 matches under a new ‘Supporter Entry Tier’.GettyFIFA has released a new set of cheaper – prices tickets for the fans after coming under fire for their pervious pricing structure[/caption]The tickets will be made exclusively available to supporters of qualified teams including the English and Scottish FAs who will then sell on to its members.But only a small number of England and Scotland fans will be able to get their hands on the cheaper tickets after FIFA revealed that just ten per cent of the tickets will be given to each nation.Overall, the change will be viewed as a welcome move after fans were left dismayed by the prices released by FIFA last week.What did FIFA say about the new pricing structure? A FIFA statement read: “With demand in the current sales phase achieving 20 million ticket requests, FIFA has confirmed that fans of the national teams that have qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026 will benefit from a dedicated ticket pricing tier, which has been designed to make following their teams on football’s greatest stage more affordable.“The newly introduced Supporter Entry Tier will be available at the fixed price of USD 60 per ticket for each of the 104 matches, including the final.“The entry tier tickets will be allocated specifically to supporters of qualified teams, with the selection and distribution process managed individually by the Participating Member Associations (PMAs).“Each PMA will define its own eligibility criteria and application process. They are requested to ensure that these tickets are specifically allocated to loyal fans who are closely connected to their national teams.“In total, 50 per cent of each PMA allocation will fall within the most affordable range, namely Supporter Value Tier (40 per cent) and the Supporter Entry Tier (10 per cent). The remaining allocation is split evenly between the Supporter Standard Tier and the Supporter Premier Tier.“In addition, fans applying through the PMA allocation whose teams do not advance to the knockout phase will have the administrative fee waived when refunds are processed for unsuccessful applications.”Football Supports Europe (FSE) had called on FIFA to pause ticket sales for next summer’s World Cup in North America with the most loyal supporters facing ‘extortionate’ ticket prices.GettyEngland and Scotland head to North America next summer to compete for the biggest prize in football[/caption]Meanwhile, the Football Supporters’ Association’s England Fans’ Embassy described the prices as a ‘slap in the face’ for supporters.Prices for England’s matches raised eyebrows when released last week with the cheapest ticket for the final – if the Three Lions made it that far – costing between $4,185 (£3,120) and $8,680 (£6,471) for England Supporters’ Travel Club members.It was estimated that ticket prices for the entire tournament could cost up to £12,000 for just one fan depending on the ticket tier they are able to purchase.A FIFA official close to discussions said: “Demand for tickets has been off the scale, more than 20 million requests so far in this latest phase. We have listened to feedback and this new category is the right thing to do.“Making $60 tickets available to more fans, including the most loyal ones who travel, was agreed on unanimously.“Associations will need to work out who best should receive them.GettyArgentina are the currently holders of the World Cup[/caption]“It’s a unique tournament and a unique market in the USA, in particular, which allows resales on secondary platforms. The demand is sky high.“No organisation does more to support the development of the game around the world than FIFA. All 211 associations, including the poorest countries, will benefit from a commercially successful World Cup.“Tickets for the World Cup had been set at around seven times more expensive than the World Cup in Qatar in 2022 with no concessions across any of its tickets for children or disabled fansGroup stage games were priced on the perceived popularity of the teams featured, instead of a standardised price in a change from previous tournaments.It remains to be seen if FIFA’s measures will placate fansFIFA also announced on Tuesday that fans who apply through participating member associations ticket allocation whose teams fail to qualify for the knockout rounds, will be exempt from the administrative fee when refunds are processed for unsuccessful applications.Next summer’s finals has a record 48 nations participating with the first match, between South Africa and co-hosts Mexico, kicking off on June 11. The final will take place at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19.England begin their campaign on June 17 against Croatia before facing Ghana and Panama on June 13 and 27 respectively.As for Scotland, their first match sees them take on Haiti on June 14. Steve Clarke’s men then face Morroco on June 19 and Brazil on June 24.