FIFA Raises World Cup Final Ticket Price to a Staggering $33,000

FIFA has tripled the price of its most expensive available tickets for the FIFA World Cup final, listing front category 1 seats at $32,970 for the July 19 match at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The change appeared Thursday on the organization’s sales site.

According to the information provided, the prior high price for a category 1 final ticket was $10,990. Those seats were listed Thursday night only as wheelchair and easy access amenity category 1.

Prices for other matches were also posted. The July 14 semifinal at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, showed ticket prices of $11,130, $4,330, $3,710, and $2,705. The next day’s semifinal at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium had prices of $10,635, $3,545, and $2,725.

Tickets for the United States opener against Paraguay on June 12 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, were listed at $2,735, $1,940, and $1,120. The June 19 U.S. match against Australia at Seattle’s Lumen Field was priced at $2,715. Seats for the June 25 group-stage finale against Türkiye at Inglewood were available at $2,970, $1,345, $990, and $840.

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On Thursday, members of Congress, including Reps. Nellie Pou and Frank Pallone Jr., both Democrats from New Jersey, sent a letter to FIFA president Gianni Infantino. The letter requested information regarding what they described as “opaque” dynamic pricing and the frustration it has produced among fans.

The letter stated concerns that FIFA “is employing opaque pricing, shifting rules, and potentially deceptive practices that are making it difficult for fans to access seats.” It added that they were “seeking more information about these ticketing practices, including how FIFA is ensuring that the World Cup is affordable for all fans and responding to fans who feel misled.”

Earlier in the week, Gianni Infantino commented at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California, stating, “We have to look at the market. We are in a market in which entertainment is the most developed in the world, so we have to apply market rates.”

Infantino said that in the United States, ticket resales are permitted, explaining that if FIFA priced tickets too low, “these tickets will be resold at a much higher price.” He said that even though some people view FIFA’s ticket prices as high, resale listings often show tickets “at an even higher price, more than double of our price.”

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He continued, “You cannot go to watch in the U.S., a college game, not even speaking about a top professional game of a certain level, for less than $300.”

Tickets for college and professional sporting events in the U.S., including the ongoing NBA playoffs, were noted to be regularly available for less than $300, although prices for events such as the Super Bowl and College Football national championship were said to rival some World Cup charges.

On FIFA’s resale and exchange marketplace, World Cup final tickets listed Thursday ranged from $11,499,998.85 to $8,970. The highest amount was attached to a seat in block 307, row 22, seat 12, four rows from the top of the upper deck.

FIFA clarified that it does not set the asking prices on its resale marketplace but collects a 15% purchase fee from buyers and a 15% resale fee from sellers.

Last month, one ticket for the final had been listed at $2,299,998.85. Addressing reports of such listings, Infantino remarked, “If some people put on the secondary, on the resale market, some tickets for the final at $2 million, No. 1, it doesn’t mean that the tickets cost $2 million, and No. 2, it doesn’t mean that somebody will buy these tickets.”

He then added, “Actually, if somebody buys a ticket for the final for $2 million, I will personally bring a hot dog and a Coke to make sure that he has a great experience.”

Attention has also turned to transit costs for fans traveling to and from MetLife Stadium, one of the host venues. NJ Transit has lowered its planned $150 round-trip fare to $105, a reduction but still higher than the approximately $13 round trip typically charged between Manhattan’s Penn Station and the stadium.

A spokesperson for Governor Mikie Sherrill said the Democrat directed the transit agency to seek private and non-taxpayer funding to offset the costs. “The Governor appreciates all the companies that have already stepped up to lower the costs for ticket holders,” said spokesperson Steve Sigmund. “She will continue to ensure the World Cup is an experience that benefits fans and all New Jerseyans.”

FIFA declined to comment Thursday. The organization had previously warned that high local transit prices might have a “chilling effect” on attendance for the matches. FIFA has also noted that other U.S. host cities, such as Los Angeles, Dallas, and Houston, have not altered their public transportation fares.

MetLife Stadium, which hosts the NFL’s New York Giants and New York Jets, is scheduled to host eight FIFA World Cup matches, including the final. Group stage matches for Brazil, France, Germany, and England, among other national teams, are set to begin June 13.

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