Up to 15,000 England fans expected in Dallas for World Cup opener

Up to 15,000 England fans are expected to travel to Dallas for the Three Lions' 2026 World Cup opener against Croatia on Wednesday, according to the United Kingdom Football Policing Unit (UKFPU). The match, taking place six days after the tournament began, marks the start of England's campaign.

Fan attendance and ticket sales

The official England Supporters' Travel Club (ESTC) sold its allocation of 4,022 tickets, though some have appeared on FIFA's resale site at inflated prices. The UKFPU estimates that between 12,000 and 15,000 England fans will attend each group stage game, including independent travelers and expatriates. Overall, 89,000 World Cup tickets have been purchased by fans from England, covering all 104 matches, though most fans will attend multiple fixtures. This figure does not include supporters who traveled without tickets.

Historically, England fan attendance peaked at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, with an estimated 350,000 fans making the short trip. Only about 4,000 attended the 2022 tournament in Qatar, while 20,000 to 30,000 is more typical for overseas tournaments.

Ticket pricing controversy

Ticket prices for the 2026 World Cup have been contentious from the start. For England's match against Croatia, tickets went on sale at £198, £373, or £523, compared to group stage prices of £68.50, £164.50, and £219 in Qatar. The limited ESTC allocation sold out quickly, leaving fans to seek deals on FIFA's official resale site, which charges an additional 15% fee.

Thomas Concannon, who leads the Football Supporters' Association's England fans' group, told BBC Sport in April that many fans were holding out for price drops, but prices have not fallen. On Friday, there were 984 tickets listed for the game; by Tuesday, only 293 remained. The cheapest resale ticket in category one has stayed around £1,310, while lower categories have risen. In April, a category two ticket could be bought for £874; on Tuesday, the best deal was £1,254. A category three ticket was £682 two months ago but is now £1,311.

Resale of ESTC tickets

Controversially, some tickets originally sold to ESTC members have appeared on the resale site at much higher prices. These are listed under 'supporter standard' and 'supporter premier' categories, which were allocated to national associations. As of Tuesday evening, two 'supporter standard' tickets were listed: one at £3,192 (plus FIFA fee, total £3,671), nearly 10 times its £380 face value; another at £1,178 (plus fee, £1,355). Multiple tickets have appeared and disappeared in the last 24 hours, making it unclear if they sold or were withdrawn. Two 'supporter premier' tickets were listed at £1,898 (plus fee, £2,183), four times the £523 face value, with another listed for £100 more.

To prevent ESTC members from reselling the cheapest £45 tickets, the Football Association delayed releasing them to digital wallets until Monday evening. BBC Sport has not seen any of these 'supporter entry' tickets appear for resale.