Ticket prices for the 2026 FIFA World Cup have surged dramatically on FIFA’s official resale platform, with some seats listed at more than 40 times their original face value just weeks after the main sales phase concluded in January. The development follows earlier warnings from FIFA President Gianni Infantino that tickets appearing on resale sites would likely carry hefty markups — a prediction that has now materialised, including on world football’s own authorised exchange.
As of Wednesday, February 11, a Category Three ticket for the opening match between Mexico and South Africa at Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium on June 11 was listed at $5,324, compared to its original price of $895. Prices for the July 19 final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, were even more striking. A Category Three seat was advertised for $143,750 — more than 41 times its $3,450 face value — while the lowest-priced ticket available for the final on the resale platform stood at $9,775.
Although most listings reflect steep markups, there have been rare instances of price reductions. A group-stage ticket for Austria’s match against Jordan at Levi’s Stadium in California was listed at $552, below its original price of $620. However, such cases remain exceptions amid widespread price inflation.
For many supporters, the soaring resale figures confirm longstanding concerns about speculative buying. Guillaume Aupretre, spokesperson for the French national team supporters’ group Irresistibles Français, said the trend reflects a system that disadvantages genuine fans. “These exorbitant prices unfortunately don’t surprise me. It reflects what we know and what we fight against: many people buy to resell. In the end, who pays the price? The passionate fans who end up with outrageous offers,” he said.
Despite the sharp rise in resale prices, global demand for the expanded 2026 tournament — to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico — remains strong. FIFA has reported receiving around 500 million ticket requests. The governing body maintains that its resale platform merely facilitates fan-to-fan transactions, with sellers determining their own prices, while FIFA charges a 15 percent commission. It also states that during official sales phases, it applies a variable pricing model based on demand and availability, but does not use automatic dynamic pricing adjustments.
Resale markets are largely unregulated in the United States and Canada. In Mexico, reselling tickets above face value is prohibited only if the tickets were originally purchased in local currency. Ticketing has emerged as one of the most contentious issues surrounding the 2026 World Cup, with advocacy groups such as Football Supporters Europe criticising FIFA’s pricing policies and questioning affordability. In response, FIFA introduced a limited allocation of $60 tickets for official supporters’ groups, though critics argue the measure does little to address broader concerns. FIFA began notifying applicants of the outcome of the second sales phase on February 5, while a final “last-minute” sales window is scheduled to run from April until the end of the tournament on a first-come, first-served basis.
