Fifa charges up to $10,990 for World Cup final tickets

Fifa's initial open sale of tickets for the 2026 World Cup revealed a staggering price of up to $10,990 (£8,333) for a seat at the final match.

This pricing is believed to be the most substantial ever for general admission to a football match.

According to the World Cup bid book submitted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, the predicted maximum price for tickets to the final was set at $1,550 (£1,174).

However, during the first ticket sale in December, the highest-priced ticket was listed at $8,680 (£6,581).

For context, tickets for the Qatar World Cup final were priced at approximately $1,604 (£1,214) for the top-tier seating.

Determining the actual prices for this summer's tournament is complicated by Fifa's lack of transparency regarding its pricing structures.

Additionally, Fifa employs a dynamic pricing model, where prices shift at the beginning of each sales phase based on previous demand.

Late last year, the initial ticket pricing was criticized as a "monumental betrayal." In December, Fifa introduced a limited number of $60 (£45) tickets.

On Wednesday, tickets became available for open sale for the first time, providing another insight into the current pricing.

Assessing the overall pricing strategy is challenging, given the lack of details on available ticket prices or the volume offered in each category.

Reviewing the Fifa ticketing website reveals what tickets remain, as well as their prices, which can indicate the overall pricing structure. However, this does not confirm whether there are even higher-priced tickets available or if more economical categories exist.

From the observed data, ticket prices for the World Cup final have increased by as much as 38% during the open sale compared to the initial release in December.

In addition to the $10,990 (£8,333) category one ticket:

• Category two tickets increased by 32.78%, rising from $5,575 (£4,227) to $7,380 (£5,596).

• Category three prices saw a 38.23% increase, moving from $4,185 (£3,173) to $5,785 (£4,386).

Fifa did not provide any advance notice regarding the specific games available on Wednesday, or their respective prices, as the "last-minute sales" phase commenced.

Those who successfully navigated the ticketing process encountered price increases for the most sought-after matches, including those featuring top teams and key knockout games.

Fifa's dynamic pricing model means prices fluctuate according to historical demand at the beginning of each sales phase.

On Wednesday, BBC Sport joined fans in the virtual queue for World Cup tickets around 15:20 BST.

Initially, a holding message appeared, and by 16:00, it changed to a countdown indicating “Almost there…”

At 17:00, a countdown clock emerged, showing the estimated wait was just two minutes; however, it unexpectedly reset to an estimated wait time of 15 minutes.

Upon gaining access, many fans experienced technical difficulties, including being incorrectly placed in a queue for "PMA tickets," which are designated for supporters of the week’s playoff victors.

After the initial mistake was discovered, fans were forced to restart in the correct virtual line, losing any chance of securing tickets for more popular matches.

Fifa did not disclose a reason for the error but clarified that by 17:00 the system was operational.

Once the queue resumed, it took six hours and 14 minutes to access the ticketing page.

Out of the 72 group matches listed, 35 had tickets available; however, there were no allocations for England or Scotland games or any knockout matches accessible by the time access was granted.

The displayed prices for these 35 matches ranged from $140 (£106) to $2,985 (£2,261), with an average price of $358 (£271).

The most expensive match available featured the opening game between Mexico and South Africa, priced at $2,985 (£2,261), although only a small fraction of the 87,000-seat capacity remained.

Additionally, corporate hospitality packages were available, including one for the England vs. Panama match, priced at $124,800 (£94,444) for a luxury suite accommodating 24 guests, equating to $5,200 (£3,935) per person.

Ticket availability appears to be fluid, with Fifa indicating that new tickets could be released for any match right up to the kickoff.

By 08:00 on Thursday, 13 matches were still showing, though six of these were exclusively wheelchair companion tickets, which should not be offered to the general public.

Controversially, Fifa has not provided complimentary tickets for the assistants of fans utilizing wheelchairs; these tickets must be purchased at full price and are often not located adjacent to the purchasers.

The USA's opening match against Paraguay on June 13 had the most tickets still available, with 1,406 category one tickets priced at $2,735 (£2,072).

Canada's first match against Bosnia-Herzegovina was the only other event with a substantial number of tickets for sale—846 category one tickets still available at a cost of $2,240 (£1,697).

Fifa's resale platform, which is expected to yield even higher ticket prices—where both buyers and sellers incur a 15% fee—reopens on Thursday.