FIFA, football's world governing body, is increasingly drawing ire of the fans for exorbitant prices of the upcoming World Cup.
According to report by the Associated Press, FIFA's resale website has listed some tickets of the World Cup final, to be hosted at the MetLife Stadium on July 19, at nearly $2.3 million each. This has left the football fans stunned who are now slamming FIFA by venting out there frustration on social media sites like X.
A whooping 1.4 Million US dollars ticket for a seat in @FIFAWorldCup semi final match !!
— Susmit Chatterjee (@suschatgpt) April 22, 2026
The joke is on you @FIFAcom pic.twitter.com/KrsGWTyN1m
FIFA IS TRYING TO SELL 4 WORLD CUP FINAL TICKETS FOR THE INSANE AMOUNT OF 2.4 MILLION DOLLARS PR TICKET ???? I SAID THE WORLD CUP IN AMERICA WOULD SUCK ????????
— Glenn Tunes (@glenn_tunes) April 24, 2026
According to the report, four seats for the July 19 final are located behind the goal in the lower tier are priced at $2,299,998.85 each. While FIFA facilitates the resale marketplace, it does not set the ticket prices. However, it charges a 15% fee to both buyers and sellers on each transaction.
It was a huge mistake to take the World Cup to the United States.
— Bebeto (@ia_bebeto) April 23, 2026
There is also a massive disparity in the prices of the tickets. A lower-deck aisle seat was priced at $207,000, while another ticket in the upper tier was listed at $138,000, just seats away from another being sold for $23,000. The cheapest available tickets for the final were still over $10,900 for seats near the top tier behind the goal.
For 2.3 Mil I'd be expecting to hop on the pitch and start playing with CR7…
— Hennez (@Hennez_hof) April 24, 2026
Classic fifa, who on earth would pay this. ????
For $2.3M I would expect the players to personally high-five me after every goal and Messi to deliver my pizza at halftime ????????. I guess FIFA really said "the world cup is not for the poor" ????
— WhisperedReign ???????????? (@tfmakena) April 24, 2026
In response to the criticism that has come its way, FIFA has defended its model, stating that its resale system reflects standard practices in major sports and entertainment markets. The governing body added that its dynamic pricing strategy is designed to optimise attendance while maintaining fair market value. FIFA also reiterated that revenue generated from the World Cup is redistributed among its 211 member associations to support the development of football globally.
Further fresh batches of tickets released directly by FIFA offered final seats at around $10,990. Semifinal tickets were also made available, with prices reaching $11,130 for the July 14 clash in Arlington Texas, and $9,660 and $4,360 for the July 15 semifinal in Atlanta.
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The tickets of the group-stage matches are also expensive. The tickets for USA's World Cup-opener against Paraguay on June 12 in Inglewood California ranged from $1,940 to $4,105. The price of the tickets of USA's second match (against Australia) to be played in Seattle are priced at $2,715, while their final group game (against Turkey) in Inglewood cost between $1,345 and $2,970.
Interestingly, no tickets were listed directly by FIFA for the tournament opener between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City. Quarterfinal tickets also varied significantly depending on venue. Prices ranged from $1,610 to $4,200 for the July 9 match Foxborough Massachusetts, while the July 10 game in Inglewood reached $5,730. Matches on July 11 were listed between $1,815 and $4,770 in Miami Gardens Florida, and around $4,080 in Kansas City Missouri.
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