World Cup 2026 tickets unsold as sky-high prices anger fans: USA vs Paraguay up to $6,050
Al Jazeera Staff
With less than 40 days until the 2026 World Cup opener, many group-stage matches still have unsold tickets, including the host USA's opening clash with Paraguay priced from $1,120 to $6,050, sparking fan outrage. Dynamic pricing and greed are blamed for the sluggish sales, as fans complain they have been priced out.
With less than 40 days until the 2026 World Cup kicks off, organizers are still struggling to sell tickets. Many group-stage matches remain unsold, largely due to staggering prices, Al Jazeera reports.
The co-host USA's opening match against Paraguay in Los Angeles on June 12 still has tickets available on FIFA's official site, with the cheapest at $1,120 and the highest at $4,105. Many are listed around $2,000. Hospitality packages run as high as $6,050 per seat.
Fans have long voiced anger over exorbitant prices. The most expensive final tickets cost nearly $11,000. In late April, FIFA released another batch of last-minute tickets for all 104 matches on a first-come, first-served basis.
The unsold tickets contrast sharply with FIFA President Gianni Infantino's January claim that demand for this year's tournament across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico would be equivalent to '1,000 World Cups all at once.'
Experts blame dynamic pricing and greed. Many fans say they've been priced out entirely.
'FIFA taking a 30% cut from dynamic pricing is outrageous,' former Liverpool CEO Peter Moore told Al Jazeera. 'FIFA is exploiting the unique commercial opportunities in the U.S., dynamic pricing, and the official resale market to make money. Infantino says World Cup revenue could top $11 billion. Why not set reasonable prices, reach more people, and earn, say, $8 billion?'
Last month, four seats for the World Cup final were listed on FIFA's official resale site for nearly $2 million each.
As of now, seven group-stage matches still have general admission tickets at $380: Austria vs Jordan, New Zealand vs Egypt, Jordan vs Algeria, Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia, Algeria vs Austria, DR Congo vs Uzbekistan, and Curacao vs Ivory Coast.
The USA vs Paraguay match is the most expensive group-stage 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 sold out, including the tournament opener between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City on June 11. Seven matches in Mexico are sold out, including the host's remaining two games against South Korea (Guadalajara) and Czech Republic (Mexico City).
Other sold-out matches include Turkey vs USA (Los Angeles), Brazil vs Morocco (New York/New Jersey), and Scotland vs Brazil (Miami).
