Ticket prices for the 2026 World Cup have surged on FIFA’s official resale platform, with many match seats now listed at several times their original face value, despite most tickets only being released following the conclusion of the main sales phase in January.
Weeks after FIFA President Gianni Infantino cautioned that tickets sold on resale sites would likely carry inflated prices, those warnings have materialized—even on football’s own official platform. As of Wednesday, a “category three” seat — the highest section of the stands — for the tournament’s opening game between Mexico and South Africa at Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium on June 11 was listed at $5,324, compared to an original price of $895.
A category three seat for the World Cup final on July 19 in East Rutherford, New Jersey, was listed for a staggering $143,750—over 41 times its original face value of $3,450.
The cheapest ticket available for the final on the resale platform was priced at $9,775.
In rare instances, however, some tickets have dropped in price. For example, a ticket for Austria’s group match against Jordan at Levi’s Stadium in California—host of Sunday’s Super Bowl—is being resold for $552, down from its original $620.
For football fans worldwide, the inflated prices on FIFA’s resale site confirm long-standing concerns that emerged after the tournament draw in December. “These exorbitant prices unfortunately don’t surprise me. It reflects what we know and what we fight against: many people buy to resell,” Guillaume Aupretre, spokesperson for the France national team supporters group “Irresistibles Francais”, which has nearly 2,500 members.
“In the end, who pays the price? The passionate fans who end up with outrageous offers. We would prefer that this benefit real fans who come to support their team, but unfortunately, that’s not the case.”
Despite the steep price tag, sales remain brisk, reflecting a global clamor that has seen some 500 million requests for tickets according to FIFA.