Tomorrow should be a day of pure joy for Scotland supporters. After 10,027 long days—yes, some of us have counted as carefully as a contestant crunching numbers on Countdown – we finally return to the World Cup stage. Scotland back at the big show. Flags flying. Songs echoing. Optimism rising suspiciously high for a nation that’s never progressed beyond the group stage.
But instead of celebration, an uncomfortable truth is creeping in: many of the Tartan Army are already being priced out of the trip of a lifetime.
A World Cup Return… at a World-Class Cost
Back in France ’98, tickets cost £38 for the best seats, £27 for mid-range, and £16 if you fancied the behind-the-goals experience—affordable, accessible, and designed for real supporters rather than corporate day-trippers who think “offside” is a motorway junction.
Last summer in Germany, our Euros allocation put 10,000 Scotland fans where they belong: behind the goals, together, colourful, boisterous, and gloriously loud. It was a spectacle for those in the ground and millions watching around the world.
This time? We still have no idea how many tickets we’ll receive, where we’ll be seated, or how much we’ll have to cough up. What we do know is that prices are spiralling into the absurd—and that many fans will simply be locked out.
Rumours, Requirements and Ridiculousness
Whispers that fans may be forced to pay for tickets all the way to the final just to secure group stage seats have only added to the outrage. It’s a bold move, given that Scotland have a tournament record that makes our national weather look reliable.
Requiring our supporters to stump up thousands for knockout rounds we’ve never reached would be more than unreasonable—it would be exploitative. And let’s be honest: FIFA will happily resell any unclaimed tickets to sponsors and VIP guests at premium prices, sipping sparkling water while fans wrestle with refund fees. It’s corporate greed dressed up as “fan engagement”.
A Welcome That Rings Hollow
FIFA have publicly said they’re delighted to see Scotland return to the world stage. Lovely sentiment. Unfortunately, their pricing and allocation behaviour makes the words sound as genuine as a politician’s apology video.
The Tartan Army travel everywhere. Rain, shine, or particularly heavy shine. We bring colour, humour, bagpipes, and a sense of camaraderie unmatched anywhere in world football. Yet a huge portion of this support risks being left behind—not because they don’t want to go, but because they simply can’t afford to go.
Infantino’s Forgotten Promise
Gianni Infantino once attended a Scotland strip launch at Stirling Castle back in 2008, smiling for photos and shaking hands with the fans. He promised football would be returned to its supporters.
Fast-forward to today, and you’d be forgiven for thinking he’d misplaced that promise down the back of the world’s most expensive sofa.
It Doesn’t Have to Be This Way
By all means, reserve a sensible percentage of tickets for later-stage fixtures. But don’t force the cost of those empty seats onto ordinary fans. Don’t limit allocations to the point of scattering supporters around stadiums. And don’t pretend football is “for everyone” if the price of entry is a month’s salary.
FIFA don’t need to do this. They simply choose to. And that’s the problem.
Because in the end, the truth remains painfully simple:
No Fans = No Game.
