FIFA’s first open ticket sale for the 2026 World Cup has revealed just how high prices can climb for fans hoping to attend the biggest games, with seats for the final listed at up to $10,990 (£8,333).
That figure appears to be the highest “standard” ticket price ever offered directly to the public for a football match, based on official box-office pricing rather than secondary-market resales.
In the original bid documents for the tournament, the USA, Canada and Mexico had indicated the most expensive final ticket would be $1,550 (£1,174). But prices have steadily risen through each sales phase. When tickets were first offered to supporters’ club members in December, the priciest final seat was $8,680 (£6,581). In the latest open sale window, prices increased again.
For comparison, the top-priced ticket for the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar cost about $1,604 (£1,214).
FIFA has not published a full pricing structure for 2026, which makes it hard to assess how many tickets exist at each price point. It is also using a form of dynamic pricing, meaning prices can change at the start of each sales window depending on demand.
What final prices have been seen so far
Based on what remained visible on FIFA’s ticketing website during the open sale, the top-tier price for the final was $10,990.
Other categories rose sharply compared with December:
- Category two increased from $5,575 (£4,227) to $7,380 (£5,596), up 32.78%
- Category three rose from $4,185 (£3,173) to $5,785 (£4,386), up 38.23%
FIFA did not give advance notice of which matches would be included in the “last-minute sales” window, nor what prices would apply. Supporters who gained access reported that the highest-demand fixtures, such as marquee teams and key knockout ties, carried the biggest increases.
What it was like trying to buy tickets
BBC Sport joined the online queue on Wednesday afternoon. A holding message appeared first, before changing to an “Almost there…” screen. Later a countdown clock showed access was close, only for the waiting time to jump back.
When access finally arrived, the process was hit by technical issues reported by many supporters. Some fans were incorrectly routed into a queue for “PMA tickets”, a category reserved for supporters of play-off qualifiers. Those who reached the ticketing page were then asked for a code, and had to start again once the mistake became clear, pushing them to the back of the correct queue and reducing their chances of buying tickets for popular fixtures.
FIFA did not explain why the error happened, but said links were functioning properly by 17:00 BST.
After rejoining the correct line, BBC Sport waited six hours and 14 minutes to reach the ticket page.
What was available, and what it cost
At the point of access, 35 of the 72 group-stage games showed tickets available. However, there were no England or Scotland matches listed, and none of the knockout games appeared initially.
Among the top-10 seeded teams (excluding host nations), only one match, featuring the Netherlands, was available to purchase.
Ticket prices for the matches shown ranged from $140 (£106) up to $2,985 (£2,261), with an average displayed price of $358 (£271).
The most expensive group match observed was the tournament opener between Mexico and South Africa, priced at $2,985, though only a small portion of the 87,000-capacity stadium appeared to be available at that level.
Corporate hospitality packages were also visible. One example: an England v Panama luxury suite package priced at $124,800 (£94,444) for 24 tickets with food and drink, around $5,200 (£3,935) per person.
FIFA has said availability can change and additional tickets may be released for any game right up to kick-off.
By Thursday morning, 13 games were still showing as available, though six were listed only with wheelchair companion tickets, which critics say should not be offered to the general public.
The USA’s opening match against Paraguay on 13 June had the largest supply still on sale, including 1,406 category-one seats priced at $2,735 (£2,072). Canada’s opener against Bosnia-Herzegovina was the only other fixture with comparatively strong remaining stock: 846 category-one seats at $2,240 (£1,697).
Resale market: prices climb even higher
FIFA’s official resale platform reopened on Thursday and, as expected, showed much steeper asking prices, particularly for games in the USA and Canada. In Mexico, local law prevents resale above face value.
On the platform, sellers can set any price they want, with FIFA taking a 15% fee from both the buyer and the seller.
BBC Sport found final tickets listed as high as $82,780 (£62,646), with the lowest-priced final ticket seen at $27,000 (£20,400).
For England’s opener against Croatia, a $60 (£45) ticket was listed at $1,499 (£1,133). Another ticket with a face value of $445 (£336) was priced at $6,000 (£4,533).
Prof Mark James, a sports law academic at Manchester Metropolitan University, said FIFA could have applied a resale cap under New York State law, limiting prices to face value (or face value plus fees).
Fans and supporters’ groups criticise lack of clarity
Supporters’ groups say the ticketing process has been confusing and controversial throughout. With little detail published in advance, and no full pricing breakdown, fans say planning a World Cup trip is increasingly difficult.
Thomas Concannon, who leads the Football Supporters’ Association’s England fans’ embassy, described the lack of transparency as frustrating, saying supporters “don’t know where they stand”.
He added that once travel and other expenses are included, attending even a handful of games could cost “well into the thousands”, potentially exceeding £10,000.
Scotland supporter Allan Ross said he has decided not to attempt buying again after problems with the queue and ticket selection. Instead, he plans to visit the USA for a holiday and enjoy the atmosphere without continuing to chase tickets.
FIFA is inviting fans who have bought, or are trying to buy, tickets to share their experiences and explain how they are managing the costs.
