
<p>A new study has revealed that <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/champions-league-tv-schedule/">UEFA Champions League</a> tickets are lower than current <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/mls-tv-schedule/">Major League Soccer</a> seats. Football Supporters Europe (FSE), a non-profit fan network, conducted a recent investigation into ticket prices across Europe. They were able to determine which clubs charged away fans the most money for tickets to matches.</p>



<p>According to the <a href="https://www.fanseurope.org/news/fse-analysis-demonstrates-need-for-further-action-on-ucc-ticket-prices/">report</a>, <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/bayer-leverkusen-tv-schedule-for-us-viewers/">Bayern Leverkusen</a> asked traveling supporters to pay as low as $16.50 per Champions League ticket last season. On average, <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/bundesliga-tv-schedule/">Bundesliga</a> sides charged fans significantly less per seat compared to other clubs in the competition. The average price for an away ticket during the 2022/23 campaign in the Champions League was about $51.50.</p>



<p>On the other side, Scottish teams ended up charging traveling fans the most. <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/celtic-tv-schedule/">Celtic</a> and <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/rangers-tv-schedule-for-us-viewers/">Rangers</a> regularly asked away fans to pay around $77 for tickets to their games. This is the maximum allowed by UEFA under recent rule changes. Both of the clubs finished bottom of their respective groups with zero combined wins during the 2022/23 season.</p>



<h2>Fan group still working with UEFA to lower ticketing prices</h2>



<p>Europe’s governing body of the sport previously <a href="https://www.fanseurope.org/news/fan-dialogue-leads-to-uefa-adopting-away-price-cap-for-champions-league-and-europa-league/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">announced</a> a price cap of $77 for Champions League away tickets in 2019. The move was met with praise across the continent. However, there are still calls on ways to lower the ticket prices even further by the fans.</p>



<p>“It is FSE’s firm position that clubs have a responsibility to reward the loyalty of traveling fans and to facilitate affordable pricing, especially considering the increase of revenue for all clubs during the next UCC cycle,” <a href="https://www.fanseurope.org/news/fse-analysis-demonstrates-need-for-further-action-on-ucc-ticket-prices/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stated</a> the company’s executive director Ronan Evain.</p>



<p>“We will be monitoring this season’s away ticket prices closely, and continue to drive this message with UEFA and stakeholders.”</p>



<p>One of the key areas to help bring down prices was to introduce more safe standing places for fans. FSE is working with UEFA on this issue. The average ticket price for fans to stand during Champions League games is currently 28% lower than actual seats.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1200" height="675" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20231128_WST_473363_Messi-fans-1200x675.webp&amp;width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="" class="wp-image-473393" srcset="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/11/Messi-fans-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/11/Messi-fans-300x169.jpg 300w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/11/Messi-fans-768x432.jpg 768w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/11/Messi-fans.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure><figcaption>Lionel Messi’s time in MLS has not been kind to ticket prices. People, not even just soccer fans, want to see the Argentine.</figcaption></figure>



<h2>Lowest current MLS tickets higher than Champions League price cap</h2>



<p>While European fans are still not exactly happy with current prices for Champions League matches, American soccer supporters would be thrilled with their current arrangement. Ticketing platform SeatGeek <a href="https://seatgeek.com/mls-tickets" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">previously revealed</a> that the average Major League Soccer ticket costs about the same as an average Champions League seat.</p>



<p>These prices, however, were during the regular season of MLS. Tickets for playoff games of the North American league are now at least double the price. The lowest-priced ticket on <a href="https://www.ticketmaster.com/2023-mls-cup-playoffs-western-conference-los-angeles-california-12-02-2023/event/0A005F7491250F10" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ticketmaster</a> for Houston’s matchup with LAFC is currently $100. Cincinnati’s game against Columbus is even more expensive. The cheapest ticket for the Eastern Conference semifinal is currently $151. The two games are set to kick off on Saturday, December 2nd.</p>



<p>MLS is steadily growing as a league and has improved drastically since forming in 1996. Nevertheless, even the biggest American soccer fan would not say that the level of play is comparable to the UEFA Champions League. The European tournament is the premier club competition in the sport.</p>



<p><em>PHOTOS: IMAGO</em>.</p>


Champions League ticket prices are affordable compared to MLS

A recent study has found that the lowest MLS playoff tickets cost more money than UEFA Champions League seats.


<p>A high-ranking official with Shakhtar Donetsk has claimed that he would support bringing the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/champions-league-tv-schedule/">UEFA Champions League</a> final to the United States. Sergei Palkin, CEO and general director of the Ukrainian club, made the comments during a recent interview with <em><a href="https://theathletic.com/4814688/2023/08/30/ukraine-european-football-shakhtar/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Athletic</a></em>. </p>



<p>The news outlet sat down with the soccer exec ahead of the European Club Association (ECA) general assembly next week. The ECA is a group of execs that represent European clubs. Teams involved in this assembly typically tend to regularly feature in UEFA’s club competitions such as the Champions League. </p>



<p>The ECA is in Berlin. There, the group holds elections for board members of the organization. Palkin is running for one of these esteemed positions. If successfully elected, Palkin could then use his power in the ECA to potentially bring change to UEFA and FIFA.</p>



<h5>Exec open to move to help promote European soccer</h5>



<p>After a series of questions, <em>The Athletic</em>‘s Adam Crafton asked Palkin about the possibility of playing a UEFA Champions League final in the United States. “Now this idea is quite interesting and it is one I would support definitely because this is directed to the promotion of European football,” <a href="https://theathletic.com/4814688/2023/08/30/ukraine-european-football-shakhtar/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">proclaimed</a> Palkin.</p>



<p>“Therefore, yes, we should consider these kinds of choices to bring our European football to, for example, the U.S. or different continents. It will be quite interesting. Why not?”</p>



<p>Palkin did, however, reject a separate question regarding a significant change to the Champions League. There has been a recent debate about <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/saudi-league-wants-top-team-in-uefa-champions-league-20230818-WST-450954.html">potentially allowing Saudi clubs</a> to feature in the Champions League. The soccer exec claimed that he was against this move because he is “quite traditional in this area.”</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-youtube"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Man City vs. Inter: Extended Highlights | UCL Final | CBS Sports Golazo" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CDL_487D5Ms?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>
</div></figure>



<h2>Clubs may help finance fan travel for Champions League Final in USA</h2>



<p>The reporter also asked Palkin if European clubs would help pay for their fans to travel Stateside for the match. “First of all, we should analyze everything, before talking about operational issues,” claimed the exec. “But we need to be open-minded and I would support this idea to promote football for fans outside of Europe and make these steps to develop European football.”</p>



<p>European clubs are likely to be open to playing a Champions League final overseas. Nevertheless, this is not a well-supported notion at the fan level. Many European supporters want the biggest club game of the year closer to home.</p>



<p><em>PHOTO: IMAGO / Nicolo Campo</em></p>


European exec open to playing Champions League Final in USA

A high-ranking soccer executive claimed he is open to bringing the UEFA Champions League final to the USA in the near future.

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Leagues: MLS

Champions League ticket prices are affordable compared to MLS

Leagues: UEFA Champions League

European exec open to playing Champions League Final in USA