Fifa charging World Cup fans £59 for ‘shoutouts’ in new money-making scheme
Fifa is charging football fans £59 to have their name announced before matches at the 2026 World Cup, which starts this week.
For $79 (£59), supporters can buy a “Super Shoutout” to have their name read out and appear on the stadium scoreboard before any fixture at the World Cup.
It is the latest money-making venture at the tournament from Fifa, which has projected $13bn (£9.7bn) in revenue for the 2023-26 cycle, the vast majority from this World Cup.
Fifa has warned that any prank requests, names that include offensive material or those deemed to be ambush marketing will be rejected.
“Shoutouts containing offensive, abusive, discriminatory, political, or otherwise inappropriate language will not be accepted,” Fifa’s terms state.
“Shoutouts may not include commercial, promotional, or advertising content, personal contact information, or references to players, teams, officials, or competition outcomes.
“Fifa reserves the right to edit, shorten, or reject any shoutout in its sole discretion.”
How Fifa’s World Cup shoutouts work
All requests must be made 72 hours before a game, meaning the deadline has already passed for Thursday’s World Cup opener between co-host Mexico and South Africa.
There is still availability for England’s three Group L games against Croatia, Ghana and Panama, and Scotland’s Group C fixtures with Haiti, Morocco and Brazil.
Fifa’s sales website says: “Get your name on the venue scoreboard during the match. Choose your fixture and reserve a shoutout slot so your name appears at the right moment in the right game.”
However, the small print makes clear that all shoutouts will take place before the match and that the “exact timing, duration, and placement are not guaranteed”.
Football’s world governing body has been widely criticised for hiking ticket prices at the tournament and operating its own secondary sale platform, from which it takes a cut.
Shadow sport minister Louie French told CityAM: “Whilst our beautiful game has increasingly evolved to become more commercial, Fifa and other sporting bodies must remember that football is nothing without the real fans.
“Sadly, many football fans have been priced out of attending the World Cup due to increased travel and ticket costs. Adding unnecessary costs within the stadium must be avoided.
“For fans that do make the journey to North America, I sincerely hope that the host nations and our teams on the pitch help make it a trip of a lifetime, with football finally coming home.”