Tickets to the 2026 World Cup final have the highest price in football history

In 2018, the 2026 World Cup Organizing Committee estimated that group stage tickets would cost between $21 and $323, while final tickets could cost between $128 and $1,550. However, according to a recent announcement, all lower-tier seats in all 11 stadiums in the US cost over $400. Meanwhile, the cheapest ticket for the final is $2,030, with upper-tier tickets selling for $2,790 or $4,210, while lower-tier and most second-tier tickets cost up to $6,730.

Previously, the 2024 Copa America final between Argentina and Colombia at Hard Rock Stadium, South Florida (USA) was said to be the most expensive match in football history with the cheapest ticket price reaching the mark of 1,000 USD. Or at EURO 2024, priority tickets cost 103 USD, 3rd class tickets only 325 USD and the most expensive is 1,082 USD if not counting "premium seats" which cost 2,164 USD. At the recent 2025 Champions League final, the cheapest ticket was 212 USD, the most expensive was only 1,128 USD.

At the World Cup, in the last six editions, third-class tickets for the final have never exceeded $700 (inflation-adjusted). For the 2026 World Cup, the same class is four times higher. For the opening match, first-class tickets used to cost between $600 and $725, but now cost $1,825. According to a comparison by The Athletic, in all categories and for all matches, the 2026 World Cup ticket prices are the highest in World Cup history.

FIFA said that ticket prices for the 2026 World Cup will apply a "dynamic pricing" mechanism, which can be cheaper or more expensive depending on the attractiveness of the match and market demand. The world's most powerful football body also launched the official resale platform for the 2026 World Cup on Thursday (October 2), and there is no limit on the selling price. However, FIFA will charge a 15% fee to both sellers and buyers, with sellers calling it a "resale fee" and buyers calling it a "purchase fee".