MIAMI: Ticket prices for the 2026 FIFA World Cup final between Argentina and Spain have surged to extraordinary levels, with some resale tickets reaching $2.3 million (approximately Rs 640 million) less than 24 hours before kickoff.
According to Al Jazeera, tickets listed on FIFA’s official resale platform have climbed as high as $2.3 million, prompting criticism that attending the historic final has become virtually impossible for ordinary football fans.
The massive demand has been fueled by the highly anticipated clash between Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Spain’s teenage star Lamine Yamal, sending resale prices soaring.
By Saturday, no tickets remained available on FIFA’s primary ticketing website. However, tickets on the official resale platform ranged from around $10,000 to $2.3 million.
The tournament has witnessed exceptional attendance throughout. According to Reuters, more than half of the 72 group-stage matches were completely sold out, while most of the remaining matches had only a handful of empty seats.
The expanded 48-team FIFA World Cup, the largest in the tournament’s history, has generated unprecedented fan interest. Group-stage ticket prices initially started at $575, more than double the highest-priced group-stage tickets at the 2022 World Cup.
Just days before the final, hundreds of tickets were still available for about $7,000, leading to speculation that FIFA had overpriced them. However, experts said this reflected a “slow ticketing” strategy, in which organizers gradually release a limited number of tickets to maintain demand and encourage quicker purchases.
Analysts also noted that the relatively relaxed ticket resale laws in the United States have contributed to soaring prices, allowing resellers to set their own prices freely. In contrast, co-host Mexico restricts ticket resale prices to the original purchase value.
According to Forbes, the 2026 FIFA World Cup has become the most expensive sporting event in U.S. history. The report also noted that small pieces of grass from the final venue are being sold as souvenirs for at least $450, a practice that has also drawn criticism from fans.
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