FIFA tripled the price of the best available tickets for the World Cup finals, making $32,970 worth of seats available Thursday for the July 19 match at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Football’s governing body first listed these seats as Category 1 on its sales site.
It previously had a high price of $10,990 for category one. The $10,990 category for the final was only available as a wheelchair and easily accessible facility category one on Thursday evening.
Tickets for the July 14 semifinals at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, were priced at $11,130, $4,330, $3,710 and $2,705. Seats for the next day’s semifinal at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta were $10,635, $3,545 and $2,725.
Seats for the U.S. opener against Paraguay on June 12 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California were available for $2,735, $1,940 and $1,120, while tickets for the Americans’ match on June 19 against Australia in Seattle cost $2,715. Tickets for the Americans’ group stage final against Turkey in Inglewood on June 25 were $2,970, $1,345, $990 and $840.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has defended ticket prices.
«We have to look at the market. We are in a market where entertainment is the most developed in the world, so we have to apply market rates,» he said Tuesday at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California. «In the US it is also allowed to resell tickets, so if you sell tickets at too low a price, those tickets will be resold at a much higher price. And even though some people say the ticket prices we have are high, they still end up on the resale market at an even higher price, more than double our price.»
He added: “You can’t go to see a college game in the US, not to mention a top professional game of a certain level, for less than $300.”
Tickets for the final were available on the FIFA Resale/Exchange Marketplace on Thursday, ranging from $11,499,998.85 to $8,970. The high price was listed for a ticket four rows from the top of the upper deck, in block 307, row 22, seat 12.
FIFA has no control over the asking prices on its Resale/Exchange Marketplace, but does charge a 15 percent purchase fee from the buyer of each ticket and a 15 percent resale fee from the seller.
Last month, someone listed tickets to the finale for $2,299,998.85.
“If some people on the secondary market are offering single tickets to the finals for $2 million, No. 1, it doesn’t mean the tickets cost $2 million, and No. 2 doesn’t mean anyone will buy these tickets,” Infantino said. “If someone buys a ticket to the final for $2 million, I will personally bring a hot dog and a Coke to make sure they have a great experience.”
U.S. Reps. Frank Pallone and Nellie Pou, both Democrats from New Jersey, sent a letter to Infantino on Thursday asking for details about FIFA’s dynamic awards by May 22; the number of unsold tickets currently available in what FIFA calls its ‘Last-Minute Sales Phase’; when additional tickets are released; whether new categories will be added; and the justification for fees in the resale/exchange marketplace.
“For many fans looking to attend games this summer, the ticketing process has become a major point of frustration,” they wrote. “We are deeply concerned by reports that FIFA is using opaque pricing, shifting rules and potentially misleading practices.”
They accused FIFA of misleading seat maps.
“FIFA also appears to be limiting the supply of tickets to shape demand,” she added. «Tickets are reportedly being held back from matches, creating the appearance of limited availability even if large numbers remain unsold. This puts pressure on fans to buy quickly, while FIFA can control prices through staggered releases.»
FIFA’s media office did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on the letter.
Published on May 8, 2026
