Edi Umoh
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has increased its top ticket price for the 2026 World Cup final to $10,990, compounding a growing affordability crisis around the tournament as sales reopened this week amid widespread technical failures.
The new figure marks a sharp increase from the $8,680 price set following the tournament draw in December, with Category 2 tickets for the July 19 final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, rising to $7,380 and Category 3 to $5,785.
FIFA raised its top ticket price during the glitch-hampered reopening of sales on Wednesday, after the 48-team field for this year’s tournament was finalised.
FIFA raised prices for over 40 games of the World Cup in its latest sale, according to an examination by NPR. The sales window covers the joint tournament hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, running from June 11 to July 19, 2026.
The pricing shift represents a stark departure from the cost of attending recent editions. The top ticket price at the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar was $1,600, compared to the current $10,990.
Critics have challenged the governing body’s use of dynamic pricing, under which ticket values shift according to demand and timing. Sixty-nine Democratic members of the United States Congress wrote in a March 10 letter to FIFA President Gianni Infantino that the dynamic pricing model “will make the 2026 FWC the most financially exclusionary and inaccessible to date.”
The latest sale also exposed persistent operational problems. Fans reported technical errors and lengthy delays during the reopening, with some reportedly directed into incorrect ticket queues before being forced to restart the process entirely.
On the official resale platform, the gap between face value and asking prices has grown even wider. One resale listing for the final was advertised at $82,780, while the cheapest visible resale price for the same match stood at $27,000. FIFA collects a 15 percent commission from both buyers and sellers on resale transactions, drawing further criticism for profiting from the secondary market it hosts.
Only a limited number of matches were available when sales resumed, with tickets listed for 17 of the 72 group-stage games and none for the knockout rounds. FIFA has confirmed that additional inventory will be released on a rolling basis ahead of the tournament.
The governing body has defended its approach, previously stating that the pricing model reflects standard commercial practice for major sporting events in the host countries. In December 2025, following an earlier wave of backlash, FIFA introduced a limited allocation of $60 tickets for official supporters groups, though fan advocacy organisations described that measure as insufficient.
With more than two months remaining before kick-off, FIFA faces mounting pressure from lawmakers, fan groups and consumer advocates to demonstrate that the largest World Cup in history can remain accessible to the supporters who follow the sport.
