The first public ticket sale for the 2026 FIFA World Cup shows the cost of attending the final reaching as high as $10,990 (£8,333), making it one of the most expensive standard tickets ever offered for a football match.

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The tournament will be staged across the United States, Canada and Mexico. During the initial bid to host the event, organisers said the most expensive ticket for the final would cost up to $1,550 (£1,174).

Prices have risen sharply since then. When tickets were first released to official supporters’ club members in December, the highest-priced seat was listed at $8,680 (£6,581). The latest open sale pushed prices even higher.

Record prices for the final

For comparison, the most expensive ticket for the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar cost the equivalent of $1,604 (£1,214).

FIFA has not published its full ticket pricing structure for the 2026 tournament. The organisation is also using a form of dynamic pricing, meaning costs change during different sales phases based on demand.

Prices climb across ticket categories

Observed prices suggest significant increases since December’s ticket release.

The top “category one” final ticket rose to $10,990. Category two seats climbed nearly 33%, from $5,575 (£4,227) to $7,380 (£5,596). Category three tickets increased by more than 38%, rising from $4,185 (£3,173) to $5,785 (£4,386).

Supporters entering the latest sales window were not told in advance which matches would be available or the price ranges involved.

Demand also drove higher prices for key fixtures, particularly matches featuring major teams or knockout games.

A small number of lower-cost tickets were announced earlier, including some priced at $60 (£45). However, those were limited and difficult to secure.

Queue errors and limited availability

Fans attempting to buy tickets during the open sale reported technical problems and long waits.

Users who logged into the ticket platform early were mistakenly placed in a queue intended for “PMA tickets”, which are reserved for supporters of play-off winners. Those affected were later forced to rejoin the correct queue from the back.

After entering the proper line, some supporters waited more than six hours before gaining access to the sales page.

Once inside, availability was limited. Of the 72 group-stage matches, tickets were listed for 35 games. However, there were none initially available for England or Scotland matches or for knockout rounds.

Among the top-seeded teams, only one match involving the Netherlands appeared on sale.

Displayed prices for group-stage games ranged from $140 (£106) to $2,985 (£2,261), with an average of about $358 (£271). One of the most expensive was the tournament opener between Mexico and South Africa, priced at $2,985 with only a small portion of the 87,000 seats available.

Corporate hospitality options were also offered. One package for England’s match against Panama cost $124,800 (£94,444) for a private suite with 24 tickets, food and drinks.

Resale market pushes prices higher

FIFA’s official resale platform reopened the day after the ticket sale, and some listings quickly reached far higher prices.

One ticket for the final was offered for $82,780 (£62,646), while the cheapest available for that match was listed at $27,000 (£20,400). These figures represent asking prices rather than confirmed sales.

Other matches also showed steep markups. A $60 ticket for England’s opening game against Croatia was listed for $1,499 (£1,133), while another with a face value of $445 (£336) was offered for $6,000 (£4,533).

The resale system allows ticket holders to set their own price. FIFA charges both the buyer and seller a 15% fee.

Fan groups say the lack of price transparency and technical issues have made the process difficult to navigate.

Supporters’ representatives warn the total cost of attending several matches could reach many thousands of pounds once travel and accommodation are included, putting the tournament out of reach for many fans.

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Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 3 April 2026

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