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With 100 days until the start of the tournament, demand for tickets to the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada is at an all-time high despite eye-watering prices that have fans crying amid global unrest following the US-Israeli attack on Iran.
In addition to the war with Iran, the country scheduled to host World Cup group stage matches in the United States, a heavy-handed immigration crackdown in the United States and the outbreak of violence near the host city of Guadalajara following the death of Mexico’s most wanted drug cartel leader have sparked concerns among fans.
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“I’m worried that I won’t be allowed into the country. At most I’ll fly to Canada, but I’ve decided not to go to the United States,” German soccer fan Tom Roeder told Reuters.
“I hope that at least the issue of war with Iran does not reach North America, at least in a way that affects us personally.”
FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters, but said nearly 2 million tickets were sold in the first two sales stages and that demand was so high that World Cup tickets were more than 30 times oversubscribed.
Tickets for games involving leading nations generally cost at least $200, from about $900 for the opening match to more than $8,000 for the final. The cheapest ticket to the final was $2,000, and the best seats were $8,680. That’s before taking into account FIFA’s official resale site, where one Category 3 seat for the July 19 match at MetLife Stadium was being advertised for an eye-watering $143,750, more than 41 times its original face value of $3,450.
Political and social tensions surrounding the host nation are not new to the World Cup.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said there was “no risk” for fans traveling to the country, and Adrian Nuñez Corte, leader of Spain’s fan association Unipes, said the situation had not affected their willingness to buy tickets.
“It’s obviously causing some concern, but thanks to some Spanish fans who live locally, we were able to calm down the situation after the first few hours of alarm,” Corte said.
“While there are no concerns regarding U.S. immigration policy, especially as some fans travel back and forth between the U.S. and Mexico due to game schedules, people are working diligently to arrange the necessary visas to avoid any issues.”
The buzz around the tournament in North America is unprecedented.
“Demand for the 2026 World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico is the strongest I have ever experienced,” said Michael Edgeley, director of Australia’s Green and Gold Army Travel.
“I think FIFA is going to make a record amount of money, there’s no doubt about it.
“This World Cup will be a huge financial success and the participating federations will benefit from it.”
But such popularity comes at a price.
The tournament’s geography is further complicated by the fact that it spans three countries and 16 host cities, making it more difficult and expensive for fans who want to follow their teams.
“Ticket prices are a major drawback, particularly affecting the number of games each fan attends, the distance between venues and the associated costs,” Korte said.
Secondary ticket market soars
Sticker shock has become even more pronounced this year, especially due to the huge resale market where tickets are sold for above face value, which is legal in the United States and Canada.
FIFA defended the ticketing model.
“Unlike organizations that operate commercial third-party ticket markets, FIFA is a not-for-profit organization,” the spokesperson said.
“Proceeds from the 2026 FIFA World Cup ticket sales model will be reinvested in the global development of football.…FIFA plans to reinvest in football more than 90 percent of its planned investments for the 2023-2026 cycle.”
Mehdi Salem, vice-president of the French soccer fans’ association Les Bardours du Sport, said his members were looking at a price increase of more than 200 percent over what they were told about prices in 2018 by the French federation and FIFA.
The price pain has been so severe that Salem’s association, which boasts about 400 members, will only have 100 participants in tournaments, which he attributes to ticket prices and the political climate in the United States.
“We feel that this World Cup will not really be a people’s World Cup, but rather an elitist World Cup,” Salem added.
