Ticket prices for the 2026 FIFA World Cup have sparked widespread outrage after seats appeared on FIFA’s official resale platform at figures running into tens of thousands of dollars, far above their original face value.
Despite most tickets only being distributed in recent weeks following the close of the main sales phase in January, listings on the FIFA-endorsed resale site show prices escalating sharply, confirming earlier warnings by FIFA President Gianni Infantino about excessive markups in the secondary market.
As of Wednesday, a Category Three ticket—the upper tier of the stadium—for the opening match between Mexico and South Africa at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City on June 11 was listed at $5,324, compared to its original price of $895.
Even more striking, a single Category Three seat for the World Cup final scheduled for July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, was advertised for a staggering $143,750—more than 41 times its face value of $3,450. The lowest-priced ticket available for the final on the platform was listed at $9,775.
While a handful of tickets have dropped below their original prices, such cases remain rare. One ticket for Austria’s group-stage match against Jordan at Levi’s Stadium in California was listed at $552, down from its original price of $620.
For many football supporters, the resale prices have reinforced long-standing concerns about ticket accessibility since the tournament draw in December.
“These exorbitant prices unfortunately don’t surprise me,” said Guillaume Aupretre, spokesperson for French supporters’ group Irrésistibles Français, which has nearly 2,500 members. “It reflects what we have been fighting against—people buying tickets purely to resell them. In the end, it’s the passionate fans who pay the price.”
Despite the backlash, demand remains intense. FIFA says the tournament has already attracted around 500 million ticket requests globally, underscoring the fierce competition for seats.
FIFA Responds
Although the resale platform carries FIFA’s endorsement, the football body maintains that it acts only as an intermediary in the fan-to-fan marketplace, charging a 15 per cent service fee, while resellers set their own prices.
In a statement, FIFA said the pricing reflects prevailing market practices for major sporting and entertainment events in host countries, noting that secondary ticket markets are treated differently across jurisdictions.
“We are focused on ensuring fair access to our game for both existing and future fans,” FIFA said.
Ticket resale regulations vary across the three host nations. The secondary market is largely unregulated in the United States and Canada, while in Mexico, reselling tickets above face value is prohibited only if the ticket is purchased locally using Mexican currency.
Growing Fan Backlash
Ticketing has emerged as one of the most contentious issues surrounding the 2026 World Cup, with fan groups such as Football Supporters Europe accusing FIFA of a “monumental betrayal” over pricing policies.
In response to mounting criticism, FIFA introduced a limited number of tickets priced at $60 for official supporters’ groups. However, critics argue that the initiative falls far short of addressing the broader affordability crisis.
FIFA has been notifying applicants since February 5 about the outcome of the second sales phase, which concluded in January. A final “last-minute” sales window is expected to run from April until the end of the tournament on a first-come, first-served basis.
During official sales phases, FIFA applies what it calls “variable pricing,” with ticket prices fluctuating based on demand and availability for each match. However, the organisation insists it does not use a fully dynamic pricing model, noting that prices are not automatically adjusted in real time.
As the countdown to 2026 continues, growing concerns over affordability threaten to overshadow excitement for the expanded, tri-nation World Cup.
