Last-minute World Cup tickets available — but prices stun fans
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
World Cup fans can still score tickets to matches in U.S. host cities ahead of next month's kickoff — but many are balking at the prices.
The big picture: FIFA is officially in its "last-minute sales" phase, with some matches showing limited availability and some prices reaching beyond $11,000, per an Axios review.
- The federation is facing backlash for steep ticket costs and its new "dynamic" pricing system, which lets prices fluctuate with demand.
What they're saying: FIFA president Gianni Infantino defended World Cup ticket prices at the recent Milken Institute Global Conference, saying they're charging "market rates" in the U.S. entertainment market.
By the numbers: FIFA has sold more than 5 million tickets for the 104-match tournament, which runs June 11-July 19.
- Between 6 million and 6.5 million tickets were expected to be available in total.
- A FIFA spokesperson declined to comment to Axios about prices and how many tickets remain.
How it works: After releasing more tickets on May 7, FIFA will continue to drop tickets in batches through its online portal.
- Tickets to individual matches are sold on a first-come, first-served basis.
Plus: FIFA is managing its own resale marketplace for the first time.
- Tickets to all matches are available, with more seating selections.
- Ticket holders set the prices, and purchases come with at least a 15% service fee on the final sale cost.
Stunning stat: On FIFA's resale marketplace, tickets to the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey were recently listed from about $9,400 to nearly $11.5 million, as of May 7.
Zoom out: StubHub, Vivid Seats and other resale websites also list individual match tickets.
- FIFA has cautioned against purchasing tickets through non-FIFA websites.
The intrigue: Ticket prices on reseller websites like StubHub appear to be dropping.
- The costs for the cheapest available tickets, known as "get-in price," have fallen over the past two weeks for the vast majority of matches on resale sites, per TicketData.com, which tracks prices.
