Just two months before the start of the 2026 World Cup, tickets for the grand final are already breaking all historical price records in football. On the FIFA Marketplace, the organization’s official resale platform, there are four tickets available for the July 19 match at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, and each of them is offered at the exorbitant figure of 2,299,998.85 dollars, which means that taking the four tickets together would cost more than 9 million dollars.
The seats in question are Category 1 and are located at the top of the lower level, directly behind one of the goals. For reference, seats just two rows ahead resell for just over $16,000, and some closer to the field go for over $24,000, which shows the enormous price disparity that exists in the resale market of the largest tournament in the history of football.
FIFA clarified that it does not control the prices requested on its resale platform and that ticket holders can charge what they consider appropriate, although the organization does charge a 15 percent commission to both the buyer and the seller. “The FIFA Marketplace provides a safe, transparent and secure environment for fans to sell or transfer tickets to other fans”said a spokesperson for the organization, defending the official resale model implemented for the first time in a World Cup.
A tournament that already generates controversy before it starts
The exorbitant prices of tickets are not the only issue that generates debate around the 2026 World Cup. The governor of New Jersey, Mikie Sherrill, has already expressed her discomfort over the increase in public transportation rates during the tournament, ensuring that “FIFA should bear the cost of transportation, but if they don’t, I’m not going to allow New Jersey to lose out on this,” in a controversy that adds tension to the organization of the most anticipated event of the year.
Despite the controversy, the demand for tickets to the 2026 World Cup remains historic. FIFA has already sold more than five million tickets for this edition and aims to surpass the attendance record of 3.5 million spectators set at the 1994 World Cup in the United States.
The tournament will start on June 11 at the Azteca Stadium with Mexico facing South Africa and will close on July 19 at MetLife Stadium with a final that, judging by secondary market prices, promises to be the most exclusive sporting event in history.