The official FIFA ticketing portal sold three phases of World Cup 2026 tickets between September 2025 and February 2026. The cheapest tickets were $60. The most expensive — Final Category 1 — went for $6,730.
Here's what tickets actually cost in May 2026, five weeks before kickoff.
Official FIFA Pricing (Face Value)
| Match | Cat 4 | Cat 3 | Cat 2 | Cat 1 | VIP Hospitality |
|---|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group Stage (Mexico) | $60 | $130 | $230 | $385 | $2,000+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group Stage (USA/CAN) | $80 | $185 | $310 | $560 | $2,500+ |
| Round of 32 | $115 | $260 | $440 | $800 | $3,500+ |
| Round of 16 | $205 | $390 | $675 | $1,150 | $4,500+ |
| Quarterfinals | $330 | $640 | $1,060 | $1,830 | $7,000+ |
| Semifinals | $475 | $920 | $1,545 | $2,735 | $11,000+ |
| Final | $2,030 | $3,200 | $4,210 | $6,730 | $25,000+ |
Cat 4 = behind-the-goal upper deck. Cat 1 = halfway-line lower bowl.
What Tickets Actually Cost on Resale Right Now
Most matches are sold out via official channels. The resale market is where prices live:
- USA group-stage matches (popular teams): $250–800 face value tickets reselling for $600–2,500
- Mexico host city group games: $150–400 reselling for $300–900
- Brazil, Argentina, England matches: 3–5x face value
- USA group-stage matches: 2–4x face value
- Final tickets: $2,030 face going for $15,000–40,000+
- Semifinals: $475–2,735 face going for $4,000–15,000
Where to Buy Resale (Legit)
Official FIFA Resale Platform — the only marketplace FIFA recognizes. Tickets are re-issued in the new buyer's name. No fake-ticket risk. Limited inventory.
Verified secondary markets — StubHub, SeatGeek, Vivid Seats, Ticombo. Markups are large but tickets are guaranteed.
Avoid: Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, Telegram groups, "guys outside the stadium." Every World Cup has thousands of fake-ticket arrests. FIFA tickets are now mobile-only with rotating QR codes — physical printouts are fake by definition.
The Cheapest Way to See a Match
Mexico host cities, group stage, third matchday. Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey have the lowest face-value pricing AND the lowest resale demand for non-superstar teams. A Cat 4 ticket to a non-marquee group game in Guadalajara can resell for $80–150.
Hidden Costs Most People Forget
- Hotels in host cities triple-quadruple during match weekends. Mexico City hotels going from $120 to $450/night for opening week.
- Flights into host cities surge 2–3x. Book now, or fly into a non-host city and bus/train in.
- Stadium concessions: $15 beers, $25 sandwiches. Pre-load.
- Match-day transit: Dynamic-pricing Ubers can hit $80 for 2-mile rides.
The Honest Math
A budget World Cup trip (one match, group stage, Mexico host city, basic hotel, 3 days):
| Item | Cost |
|---|
|---|---|
| Ticket (Cat 4 resale) | $150 |
|---|---|
| Flight (US → Mexico) | $350 |
| 3 nights mid-range hotel | $450 |
| Food + transit | $200 |
| Total | ~$1,150 |
A premium trip (final, NY/NJ, Cat 2 resale, 5 nights):
| Item | Cost |
|---|
|---|---|
| Ticket (Cat 2 final resale) | $20,000 |
|---|---|
| Flight | $400 |
| 5 nights NYC hotel | $2,500 |
| Food + transit | $800 |
| Total | ~$23,700 |
A Local Friend in your host city ($25–50/hr) is the cheapest line item of the trip — and the one that turns a stressful FIFA-tourist experience into something you'll remember for the right reasons.
Browse Local Friends on Roavi.