FANS will pay less to watch the 1998 World Cup finals in France, compared to USA '94.

Organisers said yesterday that the cheapest ticket for a first-round game will cost 145 francs (about £19) and half of them will be priced at 250 francs (£33) or less. A seat at the final will cost from £46 to £393. In the United States, the lowest-priced ticket for the final was £133.

Tickets for the 55 round-robin games will go on sale to the general public on November 27th, although more than a quarter of the two million tickets have already been snapped up by members of the French fans in advance sales.

Almost half the tickets will be available to the French public and foreign tour operators, with the rest being held for national soccer federations, sponsors and organisers.

The 500,000 tickets for the opening game and ceremonies as well as the quarter-finals, semifinals and final will go on sale in the autumn of 1997.

Organisers said work on the 80,000-seater Stade de France stadium in St Denis, which will host the opening game, is on schedule.

The other games will be held in nine other cities Paris, Lens, Lyon, Marseille, Nantes, Toulouse, St Etienne, Bordeaux and Montpellier between June 10th and July 12th, 1998.

Next June, England, Italy and Brazil will join France in a four-team tournament to test facilities in Lyon, Nantes, Montpellier, Lens and Paris.

So far only Brazil know where they will be playing. As defending champions, they will play the opening game in St Denis, which will also host the final July 12th. Marseille will be the venue for the final draw on December 4th, 1997.