Fifa has tripled the price of its best available tickets for the World Cup final, with Front Category 1 seats now costing $32,970 for the 19 July match at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The previous top price was $10,990 for Category 1, which is now only available as wheelchair and easy access tickets. By comparison, the most expensive ticket for the 2022 World Cup final was around $1,600.
Tickets for the semi-finals are also steep: $11,130 for the top category at AT&T Stadium in Dallas on 14 July, and $10,635 for the equivalent at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta the following day. For the US men's national team group stage matches, prices range from $2,735 for the opener against Paraguay to $2,970 for the final group game against Turkey.
Fifa president Gianni Infantino defended the pricing, saying the organisation must 'apply market rates' in a country where entertainment is highly developed. He argued that lower prices would lead to resale at even higher amounts, and noted that even college games in the US cost at least $300. However, tickets for many US sporting events, including NBA playoff games, are often available for less than that.
On the Fifa Resale/Exchange Marketplace, final tickets were listed from $8,970 to nearly $11.5 million, though Infantino dismissed the extreme prices as unrealistic. Fifa takes a 15% fee from both buyers and sellers on the platform but does not control asking prices.
US Congressmen Frank Pallone and Nellie Pou have written to Infantino expressing concern over 'opaque pricing, shifting rules and potentially deceptive practices'. They demanded details on dynamic pricing, unsold tickets, and the justification for resale fees, accusing Fifa of restricting supply to shape demand. Fifa has not yet responded to the letter.
