‘It’s actually quite sad’ – Premier League star’s brother explains World Cup ticket reality

Dec 14, 2025 - 13:45

Scottish football was on a high after qualifying for the World Cup but shocking ticket prices have left supporters deflated.

That’s the view of ex-Watford star Stephen McGinn – brother of Scotland international John.

Stephen’s brother John McGinn helped Scotland qualify for the World Cup under manager Steve Clarke[/caption]

The Aston Villa captain starred in the nation’s stunning 4-2 win over Denmark that secured their qualification to the tournament.

Next year’s edition will take place across Canada, the United States, and Mexico.

How much will World Cup tickets cost?

However, rather than the usual excitement from supporters about travelling for the historic competition, there has been outrage surrounding ticket prices.

Many will no longer be able to follow their nations, especially if they make it all the way to the final at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

According to the BBC, tickets for the final alone are believed to have been split into three groups.

‘Supporter value tier’ £3,119 ($4,185)
‘Supporter standard tier’ – £4,162 ($5,560)
‘Supporter premium tier’ – £6,615 ($8,860)

Meanwhile, for the whole tournament it could cost up to £12,000 for one single fan depending on the ticket tier they are able to purchase for individual games.

FSE (Football Supporters Europe) have already called for FIFA to pause the ticket sale process and alter the policy that has been put into place.

A statement said: “In the price tables gradually and confidentially released by Fifa, tickets allocated to national associations…are reaching astronomical levels,” it said in a statement.

“Adding insult to injury, the lowest price category will not be available to the most dedicated supporters through their national associations, as Fifa chose to reserve the scarce number of category four tickets to the general sales, subject to dynamic ticket pricing.

McGinn made almost 483 appearances for St Mirren, Watford, and Sheffield United amongst others[/caption]

“For the first time in World Cup history, no consistent price will be offered across all group stage games. Instead, Fifa is introducing a variable pricing policy dependent on vague criteria such as the perceived attractiveness of the fixture.

“Fans of different national teams will therefore have to pay different prices for the same category at the same stage of the tournament, without any transparency on the pricing structure enforced by Fifa.”

What did Stephen McGinn say?

And in an interview on the Weekend Sports Breakfast, McGinn conceded any initial excitement had been tempered by the prices.

Asked if he would be following brother John at the World Cup, he told talkSPORT: “Yeah, we’ve booked. We’ve booked a one way. So really, really, really, really excited.

“But I mean, there’s a weird feeling up in Scotland at the minute and I think it’s the ticket prices.

“There’s a lot of people that text me in the kind of buzz of the Kenny McLean wondergoal and the draw saying, ‘Can you sort me with tickets?’

Scotland have not been at a World Cup since France 1998 but fans may have a hard time following them[/caption]

“But the amount of people I’ve had in the last week or two say, ‘By the way, I can’t afford to go’. It’s actually quite sad.

“There’s a wee bit of, the balloon’s been popped a wee bit in terms of the noise around it.

“But we’ll be there to support John and have the trip a lifetime for our kids.”

Jamie Carragher vs Rio Ferdinand

The state of the ticket prices has even come up in a war of words between Liverpool and Manchester United legends Jamie Carragher and Rio Ferdinand.

Ferdinand hosted the World Cup draw earlier this month but has been criticised for calling himself a ‘man of the people’ but not speaking up about the ticket price when interviewed by the BBC.

On Saturday night, the ex-England international looked to engage in a debate with Carragher over his opinion on Mohamed Salah’s return to action after a his controversial post-match interview last weekend.