Failures to address concerns around accessibility for the 2026 FIFA World Cup risk excluding many disabled supporters.
It appears many disabled fans are set to face higher, unavoidable costs to attending than non-disabled supporters, while there is uncertainty over allocation numbers and the positioning of PA/companions.
Level Playing Field raised concerns with FIFA more than three weeks ago and has still received no response.
The matter was also brought to the attention of national governing bodies, and the charity has since written to the secretary of state for culture, media and sport.
FIFA have also neglected to provide a response to Football Supporters Europe, while other organisations have raised issues at a national level.
Action on wider ticketing did take place, following an initial backlash, but points on accessible ticketing have been ignored.
Clear disparity can be seen, where the lowest-priced ticket tiers available to general allocation purchasers are not available across accessible tickets. Guidance has also been published, stating that PA/companion tickets are not complimentary, and that while PA/companions will be seated as close as possible, adjacent seating cannot be guaranteed.
This does not align with disabled supporters’ experiences at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and has not been justified.
In addition, a lack of clarity remains on the allocation numbers of wheelchair user spaces and easy access seating available to nations’ supporters.
Chair of Level Playing Field, Tony Taylor, said: “This ongoing uncertainty over accessible ticketing is unacceptable.
“The current situation appears to expect disabled fans to gamble on cost and access.
“Planning, personal assistants and pricing are vital considerations for disabled fans, as repeatedly shown in Level Playing Field Annual Fan Survey data.
“Restricting access to the lowest pricing tiers and charging for personal assistants, add unavoidable, additional, disability related costs to attending.
“Even where cost has been addressed, with the newly introduced lower-priced ticket band, it does not look set to apply equally to accessible seating and therefore has the potential to create further disparity between disabled fans and their fellow supporters, with exclusion from the very affordability measures presented as a response.
“Instead of addressing the issue and communicating with supporters effectively, the current response has only been to delay and ignore.
“More than three weeks after Level Playing Field raised serious and legitimate concerns with FIFA, the lack of any form of acknowledgement on accessible ticketing issues is deeply frustrating and wholly unacceptable.
“Each World Cup should bring everyone together in celebration and at the moment, this failure to act on inclusion puts that at risk.”
The most recent update to England supporters from the Football Association can be found here.
Results from the 2025 Level Playing Field Annual Fan Survey are available to view here, and anyone looking for advice on accessibility is advised to please get in touch with the charity.