Tickets for the co-host’s opener in Los Angeles range from $1,120 to $6,050.
Published May 3, 2026
With less than 40 days to go until the World Cup, tournament organizers continue to struggle to sell tickets, with seats still available for most group stage games despite exorbitant prices.
Home fans can find tickets for tournament co-host United States’ opener against Paraguay, with prices starting at $1,120 and up to $4,105, with many tickets around $2,000 for the June 12 game in Los Angeles. Hospitality package group seats can cost up to $6,050 per seat.
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Tickets can still be purchased from the ‘Last Minute Sales’ section of the official FIFA website.
Soccer fans have already been outraged by exorbitant match prices (the most expensive ticket for the final costs around $11,000) since the first phase of ticket sales in December. Late last month, FIFA further announced a “last-minute ticket tier” where tickets for all 104 matches will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
The slump in sales contradicts FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s claim in January that demand for tickets for this year’s tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico was equivalent to “a thousand years of World Cups at a time.”
Experts say dynamic pricing and greed are key factors, with fans saying they have been “priced out” by FIFA.
While many people in the United States are accustomed to the pricing model commonly used for the Super Bowl, fans around the world are not accustomed to dynamic pricing or the legitimate profits from ticket resale, sports executive Peter Moore told Al Jazeera in a recent interview.
“It’s outrageous that FIFA is taking 30% of dynamic pricing,” said the former Liverpool chief executive.
“FIFA is making money by taking advantage of unique commercial opportunities in the United States, dynamic pricing, and a secondary market that is legal here. Mr. Infantino (expects) that FIFA’s revenue from the World Cup will exceed $11 billion. Why not make it more affordable and accessible, perhaps making $8 billion?”
Last month, four seats for the World Cup final were listed on FIFA’s official resale site for just under $2 million each.
Tickets for a total of seven group stage games are on sale for $380, including Austria vs. Jordan, New Zealand vs. Egypt, Jordan vs. Algeria, Cape Verde vs. Saudi Arabia, Algeria vs. Austria, Democratic Republic of the Congo vs. Uzbekistan, and Curacao vs. Ivory Coast.
The opening game between the United States and Paraguay is the most expensive group game, followed by Argentina vs. Austria ($2,925), Ecuador vs. Germany ($2,550), Uruguay vs. Spain ($2,520), and England vs. Croatia ($2,505).
According to FIFA’s website, a total of 17 group stage matches have been sold out, including the tournament’s opening match between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City on June 11.
Seven matches in Mexico were sold out, including two matches against South Korea in Guadalajara and the Czech Republic in Mexico City.
Tolkier vs. USA in Los Angeles, Brazil vs. Morocco in New York/New Jersey, and Scotland vs. Brazil in Miami are among other sold-out matches.
