World Cup 2026 – fans in front of maximum ticket prices

As of: October 30, 2025 5:39 p.m

FIFA is offering four ticket categories for the 2026 World Cup – but the cheapest one is hardly available. “Dynamic prices” can result in even higher costs and barely regulated resale at any price is permitted.

60 US dollars – this price is like proof of fan friendliness for FIFA. “When sales begin, fans can secure group stage tickets starting at just $60, providing affordable access to the tournament.”said a statement from FIFA at the start of ticket sales in September. 60 US dollars is currently the equivalent of around 52 euros.

However, a look at the stadium plans suggests that no category will contain as few tickets as the fourth category, which is intended to ensure affordable access. Only the smallest corners in the overviews are colored green for category 4, while the rest of the stadium at all locations is colored orange, red and blue for categories 1 to 3.

As the tournament progresses it becomes more and more expensive; the best final tickets outside the VIP area are said to cost 6,730 US dollars (approx. 5,790 euros) when sales begin. In contrast to previous tournaments, at the 2026 World Cup even the places in the lower tier behind the goal are part of the first category.

At Sportschau’s request, FIFA said: “The ticket category 4 location charts are not to scale and do not necessarily reflect the actual number of available tickets in this category.”

According to FIFA, it sold a total of two million tickets in the first two sales phases. The world association did not answer the question of how many tickets in total can be assigned to category 4 or how high the proportion is.

Most recently, FIFA published the proportions of the categories retrospectively; the quota has shrunk with every tournament since 2010. In previous tournaments, the cheapest category was only open to people from the host country, but in 2026 it will be open to all fans.

*Source: FIFA financial reports

“If the stadium’s seating charts reflect the number of tickets available, it is simply a marketing ploy to trick fans into buying tickets that barely exist.”says Ronan Evain from the European Fan Alliance “Football Supporters Europe” in an interview with Sportschau. “The hope is that fans will eventually buy more expensive tickets. But FIFA can claim that some tickets are available at a lower price.”

FIFA with high expectations for World Cup revenue

FIFA is expecting more money at the World Cup than ever before. “The 2026 budget will reach new highs in connection with the World Cup”says the current budget of the world association. In the World Cup year, FIFA expects revenue of almost nine billion US dollars.

Of this, around three billion US dollars are expected to come from the sale of tickets and VIP packages – which would be almost tripling compared to 2022. By expanding the World Cup to 48 teams, the number of games will increase by almost 63 percent from 64 to 104. But that’s not keeping up with the expected increase in revenue from tickets and VIP packages of almost 300 percent.

*in US dollars – Source: FIFA financial reports

Resale possible at high prices – plus fees for buyer and seller

The fans should finance the hoped-for increase in sales. It remains to be seen whether the few available $60 cards from Category 4 will actually only cost $60. Because FIFA has set up a resale platform.

Numerous Bundesliga clubs also give fans who are unable to attend the match day the opportunity to pass on their tickets. But when you look at the global association’s terms and conditions, two crucial differences become apparent:

FIFA points out that the so-called “secondary market” is generally permitted under the law in the USA. According to the world association, having your own platform is therefore a safe option for fans. Regarding the fees, FIFA said: A ticket model is required, “which encourages ticket buyers to think twice before potentially offering their tickets on the secondary market”. In other words, the fees are intended to discourage resale.

$60 ticket available on the FIFA platform for 46 times the price

So far this has only worked partially. Numerous cards are already offered on the platform. Also the 60 dollar tickets in category 4 for the group games, which according to FIFA one “affordable access to the tournament” should give, were available there on Tuesday (October 28th, 2025). At group games in Miami (908.50 US dollars) and in Dallas (626.75 US dollars), the previously reasonably cheap tickets were already offered for many times more.

At a group game in Mexico City without the participation of co-host Mexico, a $60 ticket was offered for $2,748.50 – 46 times the original price. A ticket for the World Cup final in Category 2 was available on Tuesday for $20,700 including taxes, while Category 1 was on sale for $64,400.

“This is nothing more than an organized black market that serves FIFA’s profit – a paradise for black marketeers”criticizes fan representative Evain. “FIFA’s job is to regulate the market, not to exploit every opportunity offered by US legislation to maximize its own profits. But that is exactly the path FIFA has chosen.”

“Dynamic” Pricing in criticism

There has already been criticism of the high initial prices and the principle “Dynamic pricing“, where the price is based solely on demand, just like when booking flights or hotel rooms. FIFA also proceeded in this way at the Club World Cup.

FIFA announced that “The chosen pricing model is based on common practice in the host countries for major entertainment and sporting events”. What this means is that “dynamic pricing” is common in the USA. The principle is also used in the MLS professional football league and other sporting events.

Fan representative Evain criticizes the approach. “‘Dynamic pricing’ is all about maximizing profits; the fans lose out. The principle creates psychological pressure on the fans to act quickly due to the rapid price changes or the threat of them.”he says and emphasizes that “Football Supporters Europe” is calling for a ban at the European level.

Further income: FIFA sells pre-emption rights on tickets

Numerous fans let their passion cost a lot. But passion sometimes turns into desperation when it comes to searching for cards. With this circumstance, FIFA created another stream of income. She often sold a so-called “Right to buy“, a right to buy.

This way fans should be sure that they can buy a ticket instead of having to hope for a raffle. The principle: Pay to be able to buy. FIFA said it does not publish details of its business strategies. “However, we regularly analyze and evaluate these strategies to ensure they are in the interests of fans and global football.”

An example: Anyone who spends 999 US dollars for the right to purchase the World Cup final has the guaranteed opportunity to buy a World Cup final ticket at a price of several thousand more US dollars – if their favorite team reaches the final. For other games, fans bought a right of first refusal without any certainty about how much the tickets would cost and which teams would be playing.

The portal “The Athletic” reported that these tickets are almost exclusively in categories 1 and 2. “If you put it politely, it is an innovative business practice”says fan representative Evain. “FIFA never runs out of ideas to exploit fans’ loyalty.”

FIFA points out that the money will flow into football development and social projects worldwide. What is meant is “Forward“program. The DFB also benefits from FIFA’s money. Since the FIFA President took office Gianni Infantino In 2016, the German association received more than 11 million euros from FIFA through the program. There may also be bonuses for sporting achievements at the World Cup tournaments.

DFB still without information on prices for fans of the German team

As usual, the DFB is entitled to a contingent of tickets for its fans, provided the team qualifies. When asked by Sportschau, the DFB said that it was initially about qualification. He will express himself, “as soon as the information on ticket prices and ticket allocation is available from FIFA”.

FIFA confirmed that it had increased the quotas for fans of the respective World Cup teams “offers at a fixed price”. FIFA did not say which categories these cards would be in or how high these fixed prices would be.