World Cup ticket prices soar as fans spend thousands on matches

The 2026 World Cup has seen fans spending as much as $150,000 on tickets, travel, and accommodations, with resale prices for marquee matches reaching tens of thousands of dollars. Despite the costs, many fans say the experience is worth it Source: CNBC.

Fan spending

CNBC interviewed fans who spent between $2,500 and $150,000. Tony Richardson from the UK spent about $2,000 on flights and $1,000 per ticket for a cross-country road trip. New Yorker Andrew Hall splurged over $12,000 on premium hospitality packages for five matches. Rachel and Nigel Vinecombe expect to spend $150,000 on ten matches, including $100,000 on FIFA ticket packages Source: CNBC.

Ticket price swings

Resale ticket prices have fluctuated wildly. For the USA-Belgium round of 16 match in Seattle, the get-in price plunged from nearly $4,000 to as low as $1,423 before rebounding to $1,635, according to TicketData.com Source: Al Jazeera. The Mexico-England match in Mexico City saw resale tickets listed at up to 2.3 million pesos (about $130,000) for field-level seats, while upper-deck tickets went for $5,000 or more Source: Mexico News Daily.

Criticism of FIFA

Fan groups have criticized FIFA for allowing inflated resale prices on its official portal. The Football Supporters' Association (FSA) condemned the system, saying "FIFA has deliberately designed an online exchange which allows tickets to be sold at vastly inflated prices with world football's governing body grabbing 15 per cent of the money" Source: CNA. Mexican sports journalist José Ramón Fernández said FIFA "turned a ticket into a luxury item" Source: Mexico News Daily.