The third phase of ticket sales for the 2026 World Cup opened Thursday, and the prices immediately sparked outrage among fans.
“What FIFA is doing is inconceivable,” said Erik Vales, a Fort Worth resident who has attended the World Cups in Brazil (2014), Russia (2018), and Qatar (2022).
Vales was stunned by the soaring costs in this latest sales window, which offered fans another chance to secure seats for the tournament set to take place next summer in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
AT&T Stadium in Arlington will host more matches than any other venue, with nine games scheduled, including a semifinal.
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Last weekend’s announcement of the groups, schedules and venues for all 104 matches only pushed ticket prices higher.
FIFA has divided tickets into three categories:
Category 1: lower bowl seating
Category 2: middle tier
Category 3: upper level
For the first time, FIFA has introduced dynamic pricing, meaning ticket costs fluctuate based on demand for marquee matchups.
At AT&T Stadium, where reigning world champion Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, will take the field. FIFA has also set ticket prices for the marquee clash between England, ranked fourth in FIFA’s standings, and Croatia, ranked 10th.
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Tickets for Argentina vs. Austria (June 22), Argentina vs. Jordan (June 27), and England vs. Croatia are priced at $700 in Category 1, $500 in Category 2, and $265 in Category 3.
The most expensive group-stage ticket currently listed is for the United States vs. Paraguay opener on June 12 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, priced at $2,735 in Category 1.
The opening match of the tournament, Mexico vs. South Africa on June 11 at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, is listed at $2,355 for Category 1 seats.
“Today’s prices are insane,” said Vales, who displayed a Category 1 ticket for which he paid $175 to attend the group-stage match between Mexico and Croatia at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
At the World Cup in Russia, he paid $210 for a Category 1 ticket, and at the Qatar World Cup, he paid $220 for a ticket in the same category.
To attend the 2026 World Cup, fans can purchase individual tickets through FIFA’s site if selected in a lottery. Otherwise, they must turn to hospitality packages, which cost thousands of dollars.
On the secondary market, prices have skyrocketed even further.
Resale tickets listed Thursday for Argentina vs. Austria at AT&T Stadium ranged from $1,697 in Category 1, $1,606 in Category 2, and $1,124 in Category 3. Some lower-bowl seats were listed for as much as $10,588.
“The dynamic pricing model is a game-changer. Before, you could buy tickets knowing the price wouldn’t change regardless of which teams played. What FIFA is doing now, in my opinion, is price gouging, which is illegal in the United States,” Vales said.
Fan organization Football Supporters Europe (FSE) echoed those concerns, calling the current prices “extortionate.”
“This is a monumental betrayal of the tradition of the World Cup, ignoring the contribution of supporters to the spectacle it is,” FSE said in a statement.
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The group-stage prices stand in stark contrast to FIFA’s claims that $60 tickets would be available. U.S. soccer officials, when bidding for the tournament seven years ago, promised thousands of $21 seats during the opening phase of the tournament.
The prices announced by FIFA on Thursday will remain fixed through Jan. 13, the deadline for fans to apply for tickets.
After that, FIFA will randomly select applicants, charge them the listed prices, and distribute tickets in February. Those not chosen will receive rejection notices.
Before Thursday’s announcement, and even before the official World Cup draw, FIFA had already sold nearly 2 million tickets across two early lottery phases.
In October, the organization set prices based on round and venue. By November, it had raised some of those prices in response to surging demand.
Vales, a veteran fan who has traveled across three continents to watch World Cup matches, now wonders if he’ll be able to attend the tournament being staged in his own backyard.
“We’re not asking for free tickets,” he said. “The only thing we’re asking FIFA for is fair prices.”
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Find more World Cup coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
