There is growing anger among football fans worldwide after ticket prices for the 2026 FIFA World Cup surged to staggering amounts on FIFA’s official resale platform.
Although most tickets were only recently distributed following the conclusion of the main sales phase in January, several seats are already being resold for multiple times their original prices.
Just weeks after FIFA President Gianni Infantino cautioned fans that resale tickets could attract excessive markups, those warnings appear to have materialised on FIFA’s own authorised resale marketplace.
As of Wednesday, a Category Three ticket, one of the upper-tier seating sections for the tournament’s opening match between Mexico and South Africa at the Azteca Stadium on June 11 was listed for $5,324. The same ticket originally cost $895.
Even more shocking is the price attached to tickets for the final scheduled for July 19 at East Rutherford, New Jersey. A single Category Three seat was advertised for a jaw-dropping $143,750 more than 41 times its original face value of $3,450. The cheapest resale ticket available for the final stood at $9,775.
However, in a few isolated cases, prices have dipped slightly. A ticket for Austria’s group-stage clash with Jordan at Levi’s Stadium in California is currently being offered at $552, below its original purchase price of $620.
For many supporters, the soaring prices confirm fears that genuine fans are being pushed out in favour of profiteers.
“These exorbitant prices unfortunately don’t surprise me,” said Guillaume Aupretre, spokesperson for the French national team supporters’ group, Irresistibles Francais, which has nearly 2,500 members.
“It reflects what we know and what we fight against, many people buy to resell. In the end, passionate fans are the ones who suffer, facing outrageous offers. We would prefer that tickets benefit real supporters who travel to back their teams, but unfortunately, that’s not what we’re seeing.”
Despite the backlash, demand remains overwhelming. FIFA has revealed that it received approximately 500 million ticket requests for the tournament, highlighting the global appetite for the first-ever 48-team World Cup to be hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
While FIFA endorses the resale platform, the governing body maintains that it merely acts as an intermediary, charging a 15 per cent commission on transactions. According to FIFA, sellers are responsible for setting their own resale prices.
In a statement, FIFA said the pricing structure aligns with prevailing market practices for major sporting and entertainment events within the host countries.
It added that ticket resale laws vary across the three host nations. The secondary market remains largely unregulated in the United States and Canada. In Mexico, however, selling tickets above face value is prohibited but only when purchased locally in Mexican currency.
Ticket pricing has become one of the most contentious issues surrounding the 2026 tournament. Fan advocacy groups, including Football Supporters Europe, have accused FIFA of a “monumental betrayal” over what they describe as excessive pricing.
In response to criticism, FIFA introduced a limited allocation of tickets priced at $60 for recognised official supporters’ groups. Critics argue that the number of discounted tickets is too small to make any meaningful impact.
FIFA began notifying successful applicants from the second sales phase on February 5. A final “last-minute” sales window will run from April until the end of the tournament and will operate on a first-come, first-served basis.
The organisation says it uses a variable pricing system during sales phases, meaning prices may fluctuate depending on demand and availability. However, it insists that it does not employ a fully dynamic pricing model, as prices are not automatically adjusted in real time.
With anticipation building for the 2026 showpiece, the debate over affordability and fair access appears far from over.
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