Football Australia has been accused of treating fans as “cash cows” after introducing a $99 annual subscription which offers access to the federation’s World Cup ticket ballot but no guarantee of actually getting a seat.

Entry into the draw for the limited number of tickets assigned to Australia by FIFA was previously free – but under the scheme, fans must now pay for the privilege through Football Account+, a new tier of FA’s existing fan database that also promises a suite of other benefits, dovetailing with its marketing tagline, “more than a ballot”.

Those benefits include a $20 merchandise voucher, discounted tickets for home Socceroos and Matildas matches, invitation to FA events, special access at open training sessions and other “insider content” which the federation says is st

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