World Cup Ticket Prices Slip as Demand Drops
Looking to score some tickets to the 2026 World Cup? You may be in luck. In addition to a new batch of tickets being released by FIFA, the resale marketplace is also seeing prices drop across the board. Read on for a closer look at how you can find tickets, as well as how much it might run you.
Fans Find it is Getting Easier to Find Tickets to the World Cup
The excitement is building as the 2026 World Cup approaches. This year's event is happening closer to home, with game sites in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. All of the excitement kicks off on June 11, culminating with the final match on July 19.
The cities lucky enough to host games this year in the U.S. include Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Miami, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, New York City, San Francisco, and Seattle. In Canada, games will be contested in Toronto and Vancouver. Games in Mexico are scheduled at stadiums in Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Monterrey.
FIFA has been under fire in recent weeks for the high prices of tickets for all of the matches. The face value tickets are noticeably higher than past editions of the premier world sporting event.
The governing body of the sport has been releasing tickets in regular increments since the last part of the sales phase started on April 1. Known as the "last-minute" phase, this leg of the selling timeline allows fans to buy tickets for any of the 104 games on a first-come, first-served basis online at FIFA.com.
The latest batch of tickets dropped on Thursday, May 7. This release came as ticket prices on third-party resale sites are starting to fall from the previous highs.
There is no shortage of avenues that consumers can take to try to secure tickets. In addition to buying direct from FIFA, soccer fans can also hit up the various third-party resale sites to try to find tickets at lower prices. Lastly, FIFA also runs its own resale marketplace. While the prices on the FIFA resale site may run higher than what consumers might find on other third-party platforms, FIFA guarantees that fans will enjoy a secure and controlled environment when buying or selling tickets.
The good news for those still looking to snag some seats to the most coveted games is that ticket prices on the resale market are starting to dip from previous highs. According to tracking company TicketData.com, the get-in price for 87 of the 91 games in the U.S. and Canada has been on a downward trajectory over the last two weeks. TicketData tracks prices across many of the most popular resellers, including SeatGeek, StubHub, and Vivid Seats.
How much can you expect to pay? The price to simply get in the gates for the U.S. opener against Paraguay in Los Angeles is now below the $1,000 mark. This match, scheduled at SoFi Stadium on June 12, has consistently been the most expensive one of the entire tournament. Not only is it the first match for the U.S. national team, but it is also being held at a premier stadium in a city that is known for its rabid soccer fans.
The falling ticket prices are in line with a report last month from The Athletic, noting that sales for the first U.S. match had been unexpectedly lagging. What was most surprising is the data that there had been more tickets sold for a match between Iran and New Zealand at SoFi Stadium just three days later.
TicketData.com is now reporting that there are currently four matches during the initial group stage that are now hovering below the $200-mark to get in the door. These four games include Cape Verde vs. Saudi Arabia in Houston, Austria vs. Jordan in Santa Clara, Algeria vs. Austria in Kansas City, and Bosnia/Herzegovina vs. Qatar in Seattle.
Response to the High Ticket Prices
Despite the falling prices, fans are still holding FIFA accountable for the astronomical prices. Last week, FIFA president Gianni Infantino defended the cost to attend a match, saying that the U.S. market is driving the high prices. While speaking at the Milken Institute Global Conference, Infantino said, "We have to look at the market — we are in the market in which entertainment is the most developed in the world. So we have to apply market rates."
Officials at FIFA have confirmed that they have received over 500 million ticket requests for the 2026 World Cup. For context, there were fewer than 50 million requests combined for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup events.
U.S. President Donald Trump also recently spoke about the cost of attendance, telling the New York Post that he would not pay the $1,000-per head for the cheapest ticket at the U.S. men's opening in Los Angeles.
Host cities are also reporting that demand for hotels has not been as hot as had been anticipated. The state of the global economy and the shaky international relations with the U.S. and many of the competing countries can be partially to blame for lower demand as travelers choose to stay home rather than travel abroad.
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