Up to 15,000 England Fans Expected in Dallas for World Cup Opener Amid Ticket Concerns

England's World Cup 2026 campaign is set to kick off in Dallas, where the Three Lions will face Croatia in their opening match on Wednesday. This fixture marks their first game, six days into the tournament.

The UK Football Policing Unit (UKFPU) projects that approximately 12,000 to 15,000 England fans are expected to attend each group stage game. Overall, 89,000 World Cup tickets have been purchased by fans from England, covering all 104 matches, though many attendees will go to multiple fixtures. The official England Supporters' Travel Club (ESTC) sold its full allocation of 4,022 tickets for the opener.

Ticket prices for England's match against Croatia have generated controversy. Initial prices ranged from £198 to £523, significantly higher than the £68.50 to £219 range for group stage fixtures in Qatar four years prior. The limited official allocation led many fans to the FIFA resale site, which charges an additional 15% fee.

Resale prices have seen substantial increases. A category one ticket, for instance, has been listed at approximately £1,310. Category two tickets, previously available for £874 in April, have risen to £1,254. Category three tickets, which were £682 two months ago, are now listed around £1,311. Furthermore, tickets initially sold to ESTC members, under 'supporter standard' and 'supporter premier' categories, have appeared on the resale market at highly inflated rates. Some 'supporter standard' tickets, originally purchased for £380, have an asking price of £3,192 (totaling £3,671 with fees). 'Supporter premier' tickets, with a face value of £523, have been listed for as much as £1,898 (totaling £2,183 with fees).

In an effort to prevent immediate resales of the cheapest £45 tickets, the Football Association chose to release these to digital wallets only on Monday evening.

(Source: Yahoo Sports Soccer)