Demand for tickets to the 2026 FIFA World Cup has skyrocketed, driving prices to unprecedented levels, according to reports. The tournament, set to be hosted across Mexico, the USA, and Canada, is already proving to be a major draw for fans worldwide.
The AFP news agency investigated the cost of attending matches this summer, revealing a significant financial barrier for many supporters. For popular national teams, the cheapest tickets are starting at $200 – roughly 1900 Norwegian kroner based on current exchange rates.
Currently, the most affordable tickets available are for the June 16th match between Austria and Jordan in California, priced at $60 (approximately 570 kroner). In stark contrast, tickets for the July 19th final in East Rutherford, New Jersey, are listed for between $2000 and $8680 – potentially reaching as high as $82,500 in Norwegian kroner.
Dynamic Pricing Explained
The final is the most sought-after match, alongside Colombia’s clash with Portugal in Miami on June 27th and Mexico’s encounter with South Korea in Guadalajara on June 18th. These high-profile games are fueling the surge in ticket costs.
A total of 104 matches will be played in this expanded World Cup, the first to feature 48 teams. FIFA has made seven million tickets available, with a limit of four tickets per match per person.
Football Supporters Europe (FSE) has voiced concerns over the inflated prices, stating that host nations originally promised tickets as low as $21 when bidding to host the tournament.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino attributes the price increases to overwhelming demand. “Especially in the USA, there is something called dynamic pricing,” he explained to AFP. “That means prices will rise and fall depending on which match it is.”
Prices Multiplied
FIFA’s resale system also allows ticket holders who can’t attend to sell their tickets on a free market, potentially at a significant profit. AFP reports one World Cup final ticket listed for resale at 1.37 million kroner, despite being originally purchased for 32,780 kroner.
FIFA previously announced that approximately two million tickets were sold during the first sales round in October, with subsequent sales rounds in December and January. A final round of ticket sales is scheduled for April.
Responding to criticism regarding ticket prices, FIFA released a limited number of tickets priced at $60. However, this offer was restricted to just 10 percent of the tickets allocated to each national federation.
For Norway, this translates to roughly 400 tickets per group stage match being available at the reduced price.
