World Cup Ticket Prices Soar on Resale Sites After Opening Games
Ticket resale prices for the FIFA World Cup have shot up after the tournament kicked off this week, after weeks of concerns that prices were too high and demand was weaker than expected.
Data from Ticketdata.com, which aggregates ticket prices from sites like StubHub and SeatGeek, shows almost all matches seeing price increases, with some higher-profile games seeing a more than 100 percent price increase over the past three days.
The rise comes after weeks of debate over World Cup ticket sales, with concerns that FIFA had overestimated demand and set prices too high amid earlier signs of falling resale prices.
Price Increases Range From 92 to 136 Percent
Prior to the tournament, thousands of tickets remained available for some marquee fixtures, including the United States’ opening match against Paraguay, while resale prices across many games had been falling. Critics argued that FIFA and resellers had overestimated demand by setting prices too high.
The latest surge suggests prices may be strengthening as the tournament gets underway, particularly for matches involving teams that have made strong starts or are attracting significant fan attention.
Ticket prices for World Cup matches have shot up across the board, according to Ticketdata.com, with the exception of Monday’s Spain vs. Cabo Verde match, which is the only one to see a slight price decrease.
The top five most in-demand matches have seen price increases ranging from 92 percent to 136 percent over the last three days, according to Ticketdata.com.
The match with the largest price surge-up 136 percent-is a Round of 32 match scheduled for July 1 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, with the cheapest get-in price at $1,906 as of Monday morning.
The teams playing have not yet been confirmed and will be decided once the group stage concludes. However, one of the participants is to be the winner of Group D-where the U.S. leads after its victory over Paraguay.
The second-most in demand is the U.S. vs. Turkey match, due to be played at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on June 25, which has seen resale prices rise by 109 percent, for a get-in price of $2,132
Belgium vs. Iran on June 21, also at SoFi Stadium, has seen its prices increase by 98 percent to $823. Prices for England vs. Croatia on June 17 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, have increased 102 percent for a get-in price of $1.970.
Cabo Verde vs. Saudi Arabia has seen a 93 percent increase, though the prices remain overall comparatively low, with a $388 get-in price as of Monday morning. The match will take place on June 26 at Reliant Stadium in Houston.
Of the 92 remaining matches, more than half of the matches are now priced at a get-in price of more than $1,000 per ticket, which is the lowest available ticket price for the event on resale platforms.
The get-in price for the final is $8,303, though this has seen only a moderate increase of 4 percent, as it was already the most expensive and in-demand fixture prior to the tournament.
USMNT Game Prices Increase
The U.S.'s 4–1 win over Paraguay on Saturday appears to have supercharged interest for their next games.
The upcoming U.S. vs. Australia match has seen an 85 percent price spike over the last three days, while the U.S. vs. Turkey match has seen a 109 percent price increase.
The get-in price for these matches are $2,348 and $2,132 respectively, according to Ticketdata.com.
The increases are particularly notable because U.S. matches had previously been among the fixtures cited by critics as evidence of weaker-than-expected demand.
In the weeks leading up to the Paraguay game, thousands of tickets were still available on resale sites, and prices fell sharply in the days before kickoff.
Many fans bought last-minute tickets at prices significantly below FIFA's original levels, and the match was later declared a sellout by FIFA, according to reporting by The Athletic.
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This story was originally published June 15, 2026 at 6:00 AM.