Football used to be the ‘people’s game’, but if FIFA have their way it could become the rich people’s game given the ticket prices at the 2026 World Cup. If you were to follow England, or your chosen nation, at the tournament by watching them in person at every game, there’s a realistic chance you’ll have to pay £20,000 or more for the privilege.
FIFA is celebrating its biggest ever World Cup, with 48 teams and 104 games to be played, by also making it the most expensive World Cup ever. Ticket prices are set to be seven times higher than at the World Cup of 2022, with FIFA’s promise of $60 (£44) tickets confined to seats in Row Z of the most unattractive games to watch.
With the controversial dynamic pricing structure in play – not to mention FIFA’s development of their own ticket reseller site, from which they’ll bank 30% commission per transaction, the time has come (once again) to ask the question: Do FIFA really have football’s best interests at heart?
How Much Do World Cup 2026 Tickets Cost?
Each competing nation, known as a PMA (Participating Member Association), is given an allocation of tickets for each World Cup. In theory, that should increase given the expanded tournament in 2026, but FIFA – in their infinite wisdom – have decided to freeze these allocations at 2022 levels.
And so it means that the England Supporters Travel Club, as just one example, will get just 8% of the available tickets – around 3,600, from a membership group of 27,000. Even then, the prices are eye watering. Tickets have been placed in three tiers, ranging from Category 1 (the best view seats) to Category 3 (the least), with the average price per round – although dynamic pricing is in play – below:
2026 World Cup Ticket Prices
| Category 1 | Category 2 | Category 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group Games | £150 | £323 | £420 |
| Round of 32 | £177 | £366 | £456 |
| Round of 16 | £219 | £450 | £575 |
| Quarter Final | £508 | £757 | £1,075 |
| Semi Final | £685 | £1,821 | £2,367 |
| Final | £3,127 | £4,165 | £6,485 |
This doesn’t, of course, consider the cost of flights, accommodation, transportation and hospitality. The price of a standard hotel in the various host cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico have increased considerably, while fans can expect other costs to rise too as tournament hosts look to recoup the eye-watering amounts spent on bringing the World Cup to their city – a cool £186 million, on average.
There’s also the faff of organising a visa, which all ticket holders from outside of North America will need. Fans from England should be able to claim an ESTA, which is a short-term visa waiver scheme.
Dynamic Ticket Pricing at the World Cup
One of the first experiences people in the UK had of dynamic pricing came when purchasing tickets for the Oasis reunion concerts in 2024. They found prices to be exponentially increased to ridiculous levels, due to demand and availability – a scheme the band themselves lambasted. FIFA, never ones to miss out on a money-making opportunity, have decided that dynamic pricing is the right model for the World Cup.
It’s a decision that has led to many fan groups, including Football Supporters Europe (FSE), to accuse the governing body of a ‘betrayal’. They have even gone as far as to call for an immediate halt to ticket sales until a new pricing system can be introduced. A statement from the FSE reads:
For the first time in World Cup history, no consistent price will be offered across all group stage games. Instead, FIFA is introducing a variable pricing policy dependent on vague criteria, such as the perceived attractiveness of the fixture.
We call on FIFA to immediately halt PMA ticket sales and review ticket prices and category distribution until a solution that respects the tradition, universality, and cultural significance of the World Cup is found.
The ticket prices outlined earlier in this article are averages per round, but the dynamic pricing structure means that they can rise or fall depending on the perceived attractiveness of the fixture. For example, tickets for Scotland’s group game against Haiti will start from £134, with Category 1 tickets selling for £372. But for England’s clash with Croatia, tickets will cost £198 and £523 in those two bands.
It will cost a minimum of £3,127 to attend the World Cup final at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium. But the vast 82,500 capacity stadium does not offer sublime views from its cheap seats, so to be actually able to see the ball and the players will cost at least £4,165.
In response to the outcry, FIFA have played their traditionally straight bat. A spokesperson commented: “The pricing model adopted for FIFA World Cup 26 reflects the existing market practice for major entertainment and sporting events.” Decoded, the governing body of the beautiful game is adamant that if other organisations can get away with ripping off the fans, so can they.
How to Resell World Cup Tickets (And Give FIFA More Money
Not content with ripping fans off at face value, now FIFA wants an even bigger slice of the pie after Gianni Infantino unveiled the governing body’s own version of Ticketmaster. FIFA will operate the only official ticket resale market for the World Cup. Sellers who can no longer attend – or who presumably purchased tickets to sell for a ridiculous profit down the line – will be able to resell them to buyers on the platform.
Fair enough, you might think. That is, until you learn that FIFA are charging 15% commission to both the buyer and seller in a transaction – a handsome 30% mark up on tickets that they’ve already profited from. The resale platform is up and running, and already some observers have noted that the same tickets have already been purchased and resold as many as five times.
Here comes that stoic FIFA spokesperson again. “FIFA resale fees are aligned with North American industry trends across various sports and entertainment sectors.” It’s not all bad news. You can buy a ticket to the World Cup final in 2026 right now via the resale platform… if you have a spare £32,000, that is.
