The Unpopular Truth About World Cup Ticket Prices
Tickets for Friday’s U.S. opener in Los Angeles ranged from $560 to $2,735 when initially released. Critics argue that FIFA, soccer’s governing body, is gouging fans of the world’s most popular sport. But the loudest complaints have been about World Cup organizers’ use of elaborate pricing techniques to maximize revenues.
- ▪Tickets for Friday’s U.S. opener in Los Angeles ranged from $560 to $2,735 when initially released.
- ▪Critics argue that FIFA, soccer’s governing body, is gouging fans of the world’s most popular sport.
- ▪But the loudest complaints have been about World Cup organizers’ use of elaborate pricing techniques to maximize revenues.
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| Original publisher | The Atlantic |
| Canonical URL | https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/06/world-cup-ticket-prices-fair/687540/?utm_source=feed |
| Publication time | 2026-06-15T12:01:32-04:00 |
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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
IdeasThe Unpopular Truth About World Cup Ticket PricesWhen seats cost too little, ticket speculators reap the benefits.By Judd KesslerCarl Recine / GettyJune 15, 2026, 12:01 PM ET ShareSave Even before the first ball of the World Cup was kicked in Mexico City on Thursday, there was one team that everyone was already rooting against. FIFA and its president, Gianni Infantino, have been widely lambasted for ticket costs this year—which are four to 10 times higher than they were for comparable matches at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.Initial prices for some of the cheapest games in the United States ranged from $60 for a smattering of nosebleed seats to $620 for seats closer to the field. Tickets for Friday’s U.S. opener in Los Angeles ranged from $560 to $2,735 when initially released.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at The Atlantic.
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