Posted on 3rd October 2025
“Astonishing” World Cup ticket prices revealed
FIFA’s presale for World Cup 2026 tickets has revealed just how expensive the tournament could be for supporters – and now England fans are calling on the FA to lobby FIFA for fairer prices.
The presale ballot for the World Cup, to be held across the USA, Mexico and Canada next summer, gave some fans the chance to buy the first tickets for the tournament and the prices are some of the most expensive ever seen.
FIFA Collect Analytics has pulled together the prices from the sale and it revealed the average ticket price for the final at the Giants Stadium in New Jersey is currently $3,945.
Meanwhile, group games had an average ticket price ranging from the cheapest of $197.42 for the games held in Monterrey all the way up to $615.50 for fixtures in Los Angeles.
Ticket price range for the group games held in the USA as reported by the New York Times from FIFA Collect Analytics:
- Category 1: $410-$620
- Category 2: $310-$465
- Category 3: $140-$215
- Category 4: $60-$105
The New York Times reported the vast majority of 2026 World Cup tickets are set to cost hundreds of dollars, and most upper-deck seats at the final will cost either $2,790 or $4,210.
Ticket prices for the 2026 World Cup final in New Jersey as reported in the New York Times from FIFA Collect Analytics:
- Category 1: $6,730
- Category 2: $4,210
- Category 3: $2,790
- Category 4: $2,030
The New York Times also spoke to consumers selected in the pre-sale with most reporting that FIFA’s $60 tickets were almost impossible to find. The most affordable tickets were only available for some group stage games, and often confined to the upper portion of a few corner sections in the upper decks of stadiums.
FSA raises concerns
It remains unclear whether or not supporters who will be buying tickets through their national associations, such as the FA’s England Supporters’ Travel Club, will be subjected to such high pricing for the group games and any knock-out rounds.
The FSA’s Free Lions Fans’ Embassy team has serious concerns about the expense supporters are expected to layout at the start of the tournament.
If previous ticket sale procedures are to be followed as expected, fans who want to go to World Cup games will have to commit to them before the tournament begins, so an England fan wanting to go to every game all the way to the final would have to pay more than $3,000 upfront.
“These prices are astonishing,” the Free Lions team said in a statement today. “If the cheapest ticket turns out to be $2,000 for the final, that is an unbelievable outlay for a game you’ve no idea if you’ll qualify for.
“If fans are successful in obtaining a category four ticket from the first game to the last, that could set you back $3,180 at least. That is more than double what Qatar cost.
“Combined with travel to the Americas and accommodation, this will be the most expensive World Cup for matchgoing fans we’ve ever seen by some distance.”
The Free Lions team are liaising with the FA and hope they can put pressure on FIFA, along with other competing nations, to protect the traditional tournament matchgoing crowd.
It remains unclear whether the national associations will be given sections behind the goal as in previous tournaments – critical to matchday atmospheres – or whether they will be confined to the current category four tickets only found in the upper tiers.
“This would be a drastic change to prior tournaments,” the Free Lions team said. “And will no doubt have a serious impact on the matchday atmosphere.”
“We need guarantees that a healthy allocation of the lowest category of tickets will be made available to participating nations that are not affected by host city location or dynamic pricing.”
“Additionally, participating nation tickets should be located in key areas directly behind the goals to provide the best possible backing to their teams.”
“We’d urge the FA to work with other nations around the world to put pressure on FIFA to keep this World Cup financially accessible for matchgoing fans.”
