Don’t have tickets yet to see your favorite team compete in the U.S. during this summer’s FIFA World Cup due to the inflated prices?
In good news for fans, resale ticket prices have dropped significantly in recent weeks, according to TicketData. The website tracks resale ticket prices and provides the average “get-in” price, which represents the cheapest available resale ticket for a given event.
The average “get-in” price for a World Cup group-stage match hovered around $550 over the last week, according to the website. That represents a major drop from April, when the average cost soared past $700.
The bad news? You might still have to pay thousands of dollars to see the more highly anticipated matches in the U.S.
That includes the Colombia vs. Portugal group-stage game in Florida. According to TicketData, the “get-in” price has soared past $2,500 for that match, which is scheduled for June 27 and marks Colombia’s only group-stage match on U.S. soil.
open image in galleryThat puts the Colombia vs Portugal match at an even higher price point than the two semi-final games, which both have “get-in” prices under $2,300 as of Friday, TicketData’s website shows.
Some games will only run you a couple hundred bucks. For instance, you might be able to see Austria vs Jordan in Santa Clara, California, or Bosnia-Herzegovina vs Qatar in Seattle for around $200, according to TicketData.
The final World Cup match at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium remains the most expensive, with TicketData’s website listing a “get-in” price above $8,000 — though many resellers are charging much higher prices that stretch into five, six and seven figures.
Last month, fans spotted four final match tickets priced at just under $2.3 million each on FIFA’s official resale website (FIFA does not control the prices listed on its resale site, although it does take a portion of sales).
FIFA President Gianni Infantino addressed high resale prices earlier this month while speaking at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills.
“If some people put on the resale market some tickets for the final at $2 million, number one, it doesn’t mean that the tickets cost $2 million, and number two, it doesn’t mean that somebody will buy these tickets,” Infantino said.
“And if somebody buys a ticket for the final for $2 million, I will personally bring a hot dog and a Coke to make sure that he has a great experience,” he added.
open image in galleryIf you live in New York City, you might be able to secure the cheapest seats of all to a game, after Mayor Zohran Mamdani secured 1,000 World Cup tickets for residents priced at just $50 each.
City residents can win a chance to purchase these tickets by entering a lottery that’s set to open Monday morning, Mamdani announced Thursday. The bargain price tickets can’t be purchased for the final. Each ticket will also include a free round-trip bus ride to MetLife Stadium.
The $50 tickets comes amid growing concern over FIFA’s direct ticket pricing. Earlier this month, Representatives Nellie Pou and Frank Pallone, both Democrats from New Jersey, wrote to Infantino demanding more information about FIFA’s pricing practices by May 22.
“We are deeply concerned by reports that FIFA is employing opaque pricing, shifting rules, and potentially deceptive practices that are making it difficult for fans to access seats,” the lawmakers wrote.
Even President Donald Trump has called out the high ticket costs. When asked about four-figure prices earlier this month, he told The New York Post, “I wouldn’t pay it either, to be honest with you.”
The Independent has contacted FIFA for comment.
Amid the uproar over ticket prices, Infantino continues to defend his organization, which he said is charging “market rates.”
“We have to look at the market; we are in the market in which entertainment is the most developed in the world. So we have to apply market rates,” he said earlier this month at a press conference.
“In the U.S. it is permitted to resell tickets as well. So if you were to sell tickets at the price which is too low, these tickets will be resold at a much higher price,” he added.