FIFA has raised ticket prices yet again for most 2026 World Cup games, with some standard group-stage tickets now listed at $700 and a lower-level ticket to the World Cup final now priced at $8,680 — nearly $2,000 more than its original price in October.
The prices, offered to fans within a lottery phase that opened Thursday, represent the most sweeping implementation yet of FIFA’s “variable pricing” strategy. After last week’s 2026 World Cup draw and schedule reveal, FIFA could, for the first time, sell tickets to specific matchups; and it adjusted prices based on anticipated demand for each game.
It hiked some Category 1 ticket prices from $410 or $445 last month to $700 for games such as England vs. Croatia and Scotland vs. Brazil. In total, the Category 1 price rose for 80 of the 104 matches — in some cases by 71% — while it fell for 11 matches, according to data tracked and compiled by The Athletic.
The new prices will hold steady between now and Jan. 13, the window in which fans can apply for tickets. FIFA will then randomly select some applicants, charge them the listed price and award them their requested tickets in February. Others will get rejection notices.
Prior to Thursday, and prior to the World Cup draw, FIFA sold nearly 2 million tickets in two early lottery phases — even though, at the time, most matches were TBD vs. TBD. In October, it set prices based on round and location. In November, it raised some of those prices in response to strong demand.
December, though, brought FIFA its first opportunity to reset prices based on the popularity of the participating teams.
In doing so, FIFA essentially divided all 72 group-stage matchups into four tiers. It priced the most attractive matchups at $700 in Category 1, $500 in Category 2 and $265 in Category 3. The next tier of group games is $600, $430 and $220. The third tier is $500, $400 and $180. The fourth tier is $450, $380 and $140. (A few matches at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, near New York, are $620, $465 and $220, the exact same prices as last month.)
Previously, outside of games involving co-hosts — the U.S., Mexico and Canada — and in regions other than New York, Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area, most group-stage tickets were priced at $405-$445 in Category 1, $300-$385 in Category 2 and $140-160 in Category 3.
There was also a Category 4, priced at $60 for some group-stage matchups, but those tickets appeared to be extremely scarce — confined to the upper portion of a few corner sections in the upper decks of cavernous NFL stadiums. And on Thursday, FIFA implicitly acknowledged their near-non-existence: none are available in the latest sales phase.
Also on Thursday, FIFA opened the ticketing process for registered supporters of participating teams. After months of murkiness and unanswered questions, these supporters — the type who follow their national team everywhere, rain or shine, home or away — learned that they would have access to tickets behind the goals. But those tickets will cost multiples more than at previous World Cups. Their prices are the same as the ones being offered to casual fans, scalpers and everyone else in this December-January phase — and, in many cases, more than casual fans paid for tickets to the same match in October and November, before teams were known.
The pricing has been sharply criticized by organized supporter groups. It’s a “monumental betrayal of the tradition of the World Cup,” Football Supporters Europe said in a Thursday statement.
FIFA, which had never used “variable pricing” prior to the 2025 Club World Cup, has defended its adoption of the scheme as an alignment with American and Canadian standards. Its strategy, also known as dynamic pricing, is similar to the one widely used by North American sports franchises, whereby prices are adjusted to capitalize on overwhelming demand — or to fill seats in the case of weak demand.
A FIFA spokesman told The Athletic in a statement this week that “the pricing model … reflects the existing market practice for major entertainment and sporting events within our hosts on a daily basis, soccer included.”
Soccer’s global governing body also frequently points out that, “as a not-for-profit organization, the revenue FIFA generates from the World Cup is reinvested to fuel the growth of the game (men, women, youth) throughout FIFA’s 211 member associations.”
It has been undeterred by backlash. And Thursday’s adjustments were the best example yet.
For all three matches involving Argentina, all three involving Portugal and all three involving Brazil, prices rose to $700 in Category 1, which encompasses the entire lower bowl and some second-deck sections of most stadiums; $500 in Category 2, which is the upper level above the sidelines; and $265 in Category 3, which is generally the upper deck above the endline and goals.
The World Cup ticketing breakdown at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, where Portugal and Brazil will be playing some of their group games (FIFA)
Norway vs. France, Uruguay vs. Spain, Ecuador vs. Germany and non-openers for the three co-hosts were also priced in this tier.
At the other end of the spectrum, several games at Levi’s Stadium in the Bay Area, SoFi Stadium near Los Angeles and BMO Field in Toronto saw prices fall for unspectacular matchups, such as Qatar vs. Switzerland, Iran vs. New Zealand and Austria vs. Jordan.
In the knockout stages, FIFA also raised the price of every round of 32 ticket and some in later rounds. It hiked the price of final tickets for the third consecutive month. A Category 1 ticket is now $8,680, up from $7,875 in November; a Category 2 ticket is $5,575 (up from $5,055) and a Category 3 ticket is $4,185 (up from $3,450).
A full listing of prices for all 104 matches is below.
The ticketing phase that opened Thursday will close on Jan. 13. Over the coming month, fans will apply for tickets in specific categories to specific matches for the aforementioned prices. FIFA will then randomly select an unknown number of applicants, charge them the listed price and award them their requested tickets sometime on or after Feb. 5.
Any remaining tickets will then be available in a “first-come-first-served” sales phase in the spring. It’s unclear if any tickets will be withheld for this phase, or if the ones available will only be scraps. (FIFA spokespeople declined to say earlier this month.)
A more detailed explanation of the ticketing process can be found in The Athletic’s guide to buying World Cup tickets.
Every 2026 World Cup ticket price in December lottery phase
WC 2026 Group Stage Matches
DateVenueMatchCat 1Cat 2Cat 3
June 11
CDMX
Mexico v. South Africa
$2,355
$1,705
$1,020
June 11
GDL
South Korea v. UEFA D
$500
$400
$180
June 12
TOR
Canada v. UEFA A
$2,170
$1,575
$930
June 12
LA
U.S. v. Paraguay
$2,735
$1,940
$1,120
June 13
BOS
Haiti v. Scotland
$500
$400
$180
June 13
VAN
Australia v. UEFA C
$450
$380
$140
June 13
NYNJ
Brazil v. Morocco
$700
$500
$265
June 13
SF
Qatar v. Switzerland
$450
$380
$140
June 14
PHI
Ivory Coast v. Ecuador
$500
$400
$180
June 14
HOU
Germany v. Curaçao
$500
$400
$180
June 14
DAL
Netherlands v. Japan
$600
$430
$220
June 14
MTY
UEFA B v. Tunisia
$450
$380
$140
June 15
MIA
Saudi Arabia v. Uruguay
$600
$430
$220
June 15
ATL
Spain v. Cape Verde
$500
$400
$180
June 15
LA
Iran v. New Zealand
$450
$380
$140
June 15
SEA
Belgium v. Egypt
$500
$400
$180
June 16
NYNJ
France v. Senegal
$620
$465
$220
June 16
BOS
ICP 2 v. Norway
$500
$400
$180
June 16
KC
Argentina v. Algeria
$700
$500
$265
June 16
SF
Austria v. Jordan
$450
$380
$140
June 17
TOR
Ghana v. Panama
$450
$380
$140
June 17
DAL
England v. Croatia
$700
$500
$265
June 17
HOU
Portugal v. ICP 1
$700
$500
$265
June 17
CDMX
Uzbekistan v. Colombia
$600
$430
$220
June 18
ATL
UEFA D v. South Africa
$450
$380
$140
June 18
LA
Switzerland v. UEFA A
$500
$400
$180
June 18
VAN
Canada v. Qatar
$700
$500
$265
June 18
GDL
Mexico v. South Korea
$700
$500
$265
June 19
PHI
Brazil v. Haiti
$700
$500
$265
June 19
BOS
Scotland v. Morocco
$600
$430
$220
June 19
SF
UEFA C v. Paraguay
$450
$380
$140
June 19
SEA
U.S. v. Australia
$700
$500
$265
June 20
TOR
Germany v. Ivory Coast
$600
$430
$220
June 20
KC
Ecuador v. Curaçao
$500
$400
$180
June 20
HOU
Netherlands v. UEFA B
$600
$430
$220
June 20
MTY
Tunisia v. Japan
$450
$380
$140
June 21
MIA
Uruguay v. Cape Verde
$500
$400
$180
June 21
ATL
Spain v. Saudi Arabia
$600
$430
$220
June 21
LA
Belgium v. Iran
$500
$400
$180
June 21
VAN
New Zealand v. Egypt
$450
$380
$140
June 22
NYNJ
Norway v. Senegal
$620
$465
$220
June 22
PHI
France v. ICP 2
$600
$430
$220
June 22
DAL
Argentina v. Austria
$700
$500
$265
June 22
SF
Jordan v. Algeria
$450
$380
$140
June 23
BOS
England v. Ghana
$600
$430
$220
June 23
TOR
Panama v. Croatia
$500
$400
$180
June 23
HOU
Portugal v. Uzbekistan
$700
$500
$265
June 23
GDL
Colombia v. ICP 1
$500
$400
$180
June 24
MIA
Scotland v. Brazil
$700
$500
$265
June 24
ATL
Morocco v. Haiti
$500
$400
$180
June 24
VAN
Switzerland v. Canada
$700
$500
$265
June 24
SEA
UEFA A v. Qatar
$500
$400
$180
June 24
CDMX
UEFA D v. Mexico
$700
$500
$265
June 24
MTY
South Africa v. South Korea
$450
$380
$140
June 25
PHI
Curaçao v. Ivory Coast
$450
$380
$140
June 25
NYNJ
Ecuador v. Germany
$700
$500
$265
June 25
DAL
Japan v. UEFA B
$500
$400
$180
June 25
KC
Tunisia v. Netherlands
$500
$400
$180
June 25
LA
UEFA C v. U.S.
$910
$750
$340
June 25
SF
Paraguay v. Australia
$450
$380
$140
June 26
BOS
Norway v. France
$700
$500
$265
June 26
TOR
Senegal v. ICP 2
$450
$380
$140
June 26
SEA
Egypt v. Iran
$500
$400
$180
June 26
VAN
New Zealand v. Belgium
$500
$400
$180
June 26
HOU
Cape Verde v. Saudi Arabia
$450
$380
$140
June 26
GDL
Uruguay v. Spain
$700
$500
$265
June 27
NYNJ
Panama v. England
$620
$465
$220
June 27
PHI
Croatia v. Ghana
$500
$400
$180
June 27
KC
Algeria v. Austria
$450
$380
$140
June 27
DAL
Jordan v. Argentina
$700
$500
$265
June 27
MIA
Colombia v. Portugal
$700
$500
$265
June 27
ATL
ICP 1 v. Uzbekistan
$450
$380
$140
WC 2026 Knockout Round Matches
DateVenueMatchCat 1Cat 2Cat 3
June 28
LA
Round of 32
$790
$605
$305
June 29
BOS
Round of 32
$620
$515
$265
June 29
MTY
Round of 32
$460
$350
$190
June 29
HOU
Round of 32
$530
$430
$220
June 30
NYNJ
Round of 32
$750
$610
$280
June 30
DAL
Round of 32
$505
$405
$205
June 30
CDMX
Round of 32
$620
$485
$240
July 1
ATL
Round of 32
$530
$430
$190
July 1
SF
Round of 32
$765
$605
$275
July 1
SEA
Round of 32
$515
$430
$200
July 2
TOR
Round of 32
$625
$475
$240
July 2
LA
Round of 32
$700
$555
$250
July 2
VAN
Round of 32
$600
$515
$230
July 3
MIA
Round of 32
$700
$560
$270
July 3
KC
Round of 32
$520
$425
$200
July 3
DAL
Round of 32
$540
$440
$225
July 4
PHI
Round of 16
$840
$620
$320
July 4
HOU
Round of 16
$620
$505
$220
July 5
NYNJ
Round of 16
$980
$785
$365
July 5
CDMX
Round of 16
$885
$625
$350
July 6
DAL
Round of 16
$640
$515
$240
July 6
SEA
Round of 16
$695
$565
$270
July 7
ATL
Round of 16
$735
$580
$270
July 7
VAN
Round of 16
$765
$625
$320
July 9
BOS
Quarterfinal
$1,270
$890
$650
July 10
LA
Quarterfinal
$1,775
$1,220
$800
July 11
MIA
Quarterfinal
$1,445
$1,005
$735
July 11
KC
Quarterfinal
$1,265
$940
$535
July 14
DAL
Semifinal
$3,295
$2,350
$930
July 15
ATL
Semifinal
$3,040
$2,525
$905
July 18
MIA
Third place
$1,125
$865
$455
July 19
NYNJ
Final
$8,680
$5,575
$4,185
