Football fans have expressed outrage after a semi-final ticket for the 2026 World Cup appeared on FIFA's official resale platform for £161,000. The ticket, a Category 2 seat for the second semi-final in Atlanta on 15 July, comes with an additional 'facilitation fee' of £24,355, bringing the total cost to £185,485.
England superfan Neal Weekes, 60, from Greenwich, said: 'These are just scandalous prices. How can a ticket on an official FIFA re-sale site be available for over £160,000? That's wrong. It's a disgrace.' Weekes, an auctioneer, and his friend Fil Sollof, 60, a property services owner from Loughton, plan to attend their seventh World Cup together.
The first semi-final in Dallas is priced at a total of £34,029, while the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey costs less than the Atlanta semi-final. FIFA charges both sellers and buyers a 15% fee on its resale platform. Weekes noted: 'If it sells for that price FIFA will profit by £24,000 from the buyer and seller.'
Primary market prices have also risen sharply compared to the 2022 Qatar World Cup. Group stage tickets start at £45.37, while the most expensive final ticket is £5,089. The opening match of the US men's national team in Los Angeles costs between £423 and £2,068, and Mexico's opener in Mexico City ranges from £280 to £1,380.
The 2026 tournament, featuring 48 teams for the first time, will be held across the US, Canada, and Mexico in June and July. The draw takes place on Friday in Washington DC, with US President Donald Trump expected to attend. England and Scotland could face debutants such as Cape Verde, Uzbekistan, Jordan, or Curacao.
FIFA was approached for comment but had not responded at the time of publication.
