Some England supporters have listed tickets for the Three Lions' FIFA World Cup Round of 16 clash against Mexico for as much as £26,000 on FIFA's official resale platform.
As of Friday morning, 76 tickets in the England supporters' section behind the goal were available for resale. It is unclear whether the listings were posted by the original members of the England Supporters Travel Club (ESTC) who purchased the tickets or by individuals who acquired them from other sources before relisting them at significantly inflated prices.
Tickets allocated through the ESTC can only be purchased by fans who identified themselves as England supporters when registering with FIFA. Sellers are free to set their own asking prices, which can be adjusted at any time, although the listed amount does not necessarily reflect what buyers are willing to pay.
The Football Association (FA) is unable to restrict the resale of these tickets, as FIFA's regulations permit resale through its official platform. However, Category Four tickets the cheapest available at $60 (£45) cannot be resold.
The Football Supporters' Association (FSA) criticised FIFA's resale system, accusing world football's governing body of encouraging profiteering while also condemning supporters who listed tickets at what it described as "ridiculous prices."
"FIFA has deliberately designed an online exchange which allows tickets to be sold at vastly inflated prices, with world football's governing body taking 15% from both the buyer and the seller," the FSA said in a statement.
"In FIFA's world, greed is good, and they'll reap the rewards.
"This highlights the need for FIFA to allow the FA greater control over the official allocation, as it does with Category Four tickets, to prevent the exploitation of England supporters ahead of one of the most anticipated matches in years.
"While we have consistently criticised FIFA for ripping off fans at this World Cup, we also cannot excuse supporters who choose to tout their own tickets at outrageous prices. Although selling through FIFA's platform does not necessarily breach any rules, it is not how we believe fans should treat one another."
Earlier this week, the ESTC announced the introduction of a new anti-touting policy for England home matches following a successful trial.
England's Round of 16 clash against co-hosts Mexico will kick off at 1:00 a.m. BST on Monday at the 80,824-capacity Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.
The ESTC, which charges an annual membership fee of £65 for renewing adult members, received an allocation of 3,000 tickets for the match. Demand far exceeded supply, with 4,373 members applying for tickets.
Supporters with 27 or more England caps were guaranteed tickets at face value, while resale listings only became available after England secured their place in the Round of 16 with victory over DR Congo on Wednesday.
