Manny Ita –
Ticket prices for the 2026 FIFA World Cup have reached unprecedented levels on the governing body’s official fan-to-fan resale platform, with some seats listed at more than 41 times their original face value. The surge in pricing follows the conclusion of the main sales phase in January and has ignited a wave of protests from supporter groups worldwide who accuse the organization of a “monumental betrayal.”
As of Thursday, February 12, 2026, a “Category Three” seat in the highest section of the stands for the World Cup final—scheduled for July 19 at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey—was being advertised for $143,750 (approximately ₦215 million). The original face value for the seat was $3,450. Even the lowest-priced entry for the final on the resale site was listed at $9,775, a figure far beyond the reach of the average football fan.
The inflation is not limited to the final; seats for the opening match between Mexico and South Africa at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City are currently listed as high as $5,324, compared to an original price of $895. Guillaume Aupretre, spokesperson for the French national team supporters’ group Irresistibles Français, expressed the frustration shared by many: “These exorbitant prices unfortunately don’t surprise me. It reflects what we know and what we fight against: many people buy to resell. In the end, who pays the price? The passionate fans who end up with outrageous offers.”
FIFA has defended the platform, clarifying that it acts only as a facilitator and charges a 15% service fee, while individual resellers determine the final prices. A spokesperson for the body stated that the model “reflects the existing and developing market practice” in North American sporting events, where the secondary market is largely unregulated in the United States and Canada.
In response to the backlash, FIFA recently introduced a limited allocation of tickets priced at $60 for official supporters’ groups. However, organizations such as Football Supporters Europe have dismissed the move as insufficient, maintaining that the current system risks “pricing out ordinary supporters” from the sport’s flagship event. Despite the controversy, demand remains at a historic high, with FIFA reporting over 500 million ticket requests to date.
