$143,750 for one seat? FIFA World Cup final ticket price surges 41 times on resale site
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "$143,750 for one seat? FIFA World Cup final ticket price surges 41 times on resale site")
$143,750 for one seat FIFA World Cup final ticket price surges 41 times on resale site Photograph: (AFP)
FIFA President Gianni Infantino also warned the eagerly awaiting fans that exorbitant price tags would be attached to tickets made available on resale sites.
In a mind-boggling development, the ticket price for a seat for the FIFA World Cup final this year has taken the internet and the fans by storm. The latest report suggests the price hike for one seat in a particular stand is a staggering $143,750 on FIFA’s resale platform, which is 41 times its face value.
The ticket prices for the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico have skyrocketed, with seats for many matches listed at several times their base price, even though most tickets have only recently been distributed following the end of the main sales phase last month.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino also warned the eagerly awaiting fans that exorbitant price tags would be attached to tickets made available on resale sites.
Meanwhile, as of Thursday (Feb 12), a ‘category three’ seat – the highest section of the stands for the tournament’s opener between Mexico and South Africa at Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium (on June 11) was priced at $5,324, compared to its original price of $895, which is almost six times its price.
Besides, for the FIFA World Cup final on July 19 at East Rutherford, New Jersey, one seat (at one particular stand) was being advertised for a whopping $143,750, which is 41 times its original face value of $3,450.
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The cheapest available ticket for the final on the resale site was listed at $9,775.
In a few rare cases, though, some ticket prices have actually decreased. One ticket for Austria's group game with Jordan at the Levi's Stadium in California -- which hosted Sunday's Super Bowl -- is being offered at $552 despite costing its original buyer $620.
For football fans around the world, some of the prices on FIFA's resale site are confirmation of what they have railed against since the tournament draw in December.
"These exorbitant prices, unfortunately, don't surprise me. It reflects what we know and what we fight against: many people buy to resell," Guillaume Aupretre, spokesperson for the France national team supporters group "Irresistibles Francais", which has nearly 2,500 members. "In the end, who pays the price? The passionate fans who end up with outrageous offers. We would prefer that this benefit real fans who come to support their team, but unfortunately, that's not the case."
Yet despite the steep price tag, sales remain brisk, reflecting a global clamour that has seen some 500 million requests for tickets according to FIFA.
(With inputs from AFP)
