Even though the majority of tickets for the 2026 World Cup have only recently been allocated since the primary sales process ended in January, the cost of tickets has risen on FIFA’s official resale platform, with seats for numerous events advertised at multiple times their face value.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino issued a warning a few weeks ago that tickets sold on resale websites would probably be extremely expensive. Those concerns have already materialized on the platform used by world football.
The initial price of a “category three” seat, which is the highest portion of the stands, for the tournament’s first match between Mexico and South Africa at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City on June 11 was $895, but as of Wednesday, it was $5,324.
Meanwhile, an eye-watering $143,750 was being offered for a category three seat at the World Cup final on July 19 in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which is more than 41 times its initial face value of $3,450.
On the resale website, the cheapest ticket for the final was $9,775.
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However, in a few uncommon instances, the cost of some tickets has actually gone down. Although it originally cost $620, one ticket for Austria’s group match against Jordan at Levi’s Stadium in California, the site of Sunday’s Super Bowl, is being sold for $552.
Some of the prices on FIFA’s resale website are a validation of what football fans all around the world have been complaining about since the tournament draw in December.
Unfortunately, I am not surprised by these outrageous charges. Guillaume Aupretre, spokesperson for the almost 2,500-member “Irresistibles Francais” fans organization for the France national team, said, “It reflects what we know and what we fight against: many people buy to resell.”
Who ultimately bears the cost? The fervent supporters who ultimately make ridiculous offers. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case. We would prefer that this assist actual fans who come to support their club.
However, despite the high cost, sales are still strong, indicating a worldwide demand that FIFA estimates has resulted in 500 million ticket requests.
“Monumental betrayal”: Although FIFA endorses its resale platform, the football organization states in its conditions of sale that it just serves as a facilitator in this fan-to-fan market, charging a 15% charge, and that resellers set ticket pricing.
FIFA stated in a statement that the price strategy for FIFA World Cup 26 “generally reflects the existing market practice for major entertainment and sporting events within our hosts on a daily basis, including soccer.”
This also reflects how the secondary ticket market is treated, which is different from how it is treated legally in many other regions of the world. Our goal is to give both current and potential fans equitable access to our game.
In both the US and Canada, the resale market is unregulated. Reselling a ticket for more than face value is illegal in Mexico, but only if the ticket was bought there with local money.
One of the most contentious topics surrounding the World Cup is ticketing, with fan organizations worldwide, including Football Supporters Europe, accusing FIFA of a “monumental betrayal” over pricing.
FIFA then introduced a small portion of tickets for official supporters organizations, which cost $60. The cut-price category, according to critics, falls short in tackling the issue.
In the meantime, beginning February 5, FIFA has been informing applicants if they were able to secure tickets during the second sales round, which concluded in January.
From April until the competition’s conclusion, a last “last-minute” sales period will be arranged on a “first-come, first-served” basis.
FIFA claims that it uses “variable pricing” during certain sales periods, with prices changing “according to demand and availability” for every match.
However, it makes clear that “a dynamic pricing model (…) given that prices are not automatically adjusted” is not applicable.
