Record prices for the 2026 World Cup: A ticket for the final costs as much as a car

The first open sale of tickets for the 2026 FIFA World Cup has revealed record prices for fans, triggering strong reactions and criticism toward FIFA.

According to published data, a ticket for the tournament final can reach up to $10,990, the highest price ever recorded for a football match.

As BBC reports, this price level is much higher than initially promised in the offer for hosting the tournament by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, where the maximum price for the final was initially set at $1,550. Even in December, when sales began for registered fans, the highest price was $8,680, showing a continuous increase.

Prices rose again when the final sales phase started on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, it is worth recalling that tickets for the 2022 World Cup final cost around $1,604 for the most expensive seats.

Determining the actual cost of tickets for this tournament is difficult, as FIFA has not published the full pricing structure. They are also using a form of dynamic pricing, where prices change at the start of each sales phase depending on demand. This has caused final match prices to increase by up to 38% compared to previous sales phases.

At the end of last year, the initial prices were described as a “monumental betrayal.” In December, FIFA announced a small number of $60 tickets.

On Wednesday, tickets were available for open sale for the first time, providing another view of the prices.

Prices for the final

It is impossible to fully assess the pricing structure, as there is no information on categories or the number of tickets available.

From what has been observed, prices for the final have increased by up to 38% compared to December.

In addition to the first-category ticket of $10,990:

The second category increased by 32.78% from $5,575 to $7,380

The third category increased by 38.23% from $4,185 to $5,785

FIFA has not issued any prior announcements about which matches would be on sale and their prices in the final phase. Those who managed to access the site saw that prices had increased for the most demanded matches, including top teams and knockout stages.

Many fans reported problems during the purchase process: virtual queues incorrectly redirected them to other sections, delays of up to six hours to access the ticketing site, and lack of transparency regarding available matches.

Prices for group stage matches ranged from $140 to nearly $3,000, while VIP packages reached much higher amounts. An offer for a luxury suite at the England–Panama match reached $124,800 for 24 people.

Criticism of FIFA has focused not only on the high prices but also on the lack of transparency and poor organization of the process. Fan representatives have stated that information about ticket sales is limited and unclear, making planning difficult for football followers.

Experts warn that the total cost to attend multiple World Cup matches could reach thousands of euros, even over $10,000 for a complete experience. For many fans, this means participation in the world’s biggest football tournament remains financially out of reach.

Meanwhile, prices are expected to rise further on the official ticket resale platform, where users can sell them at lower or much higher prices, adding more debate about access and fairness for fans.

“KORÇA BOOM”