FIFA 2026 World Cup Final Ticket Prices See 479% Bump from Russia 2018

Last week, FIFA gave some fans an early opportunity to snag the 2026 World Cup tickets, but thanks to exorbitant prices, many returned empty-handed. 

Long before the ticket prices came to light, fans had been moaning about the dynamic pricing model. Considering how steep even the early-bird ticket prices are, fans may have to pay well over $10,000 to watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup final from Category 1 seats.

In the first phase, the best tickets for the 2026 FIFA World Cup final went for a whopping $6370. To put this into perspective, Category 1 tickets for the 2018 FIFA World Cup sold for $1100, marking a whopping 479% jump in price.

While senior World Cup tickets are now luxury items, the U20 edition offers excellent value for money. The tournament is currently underway in Chile, and according to the latest 2025 U20 World Cup betting odds, Argentina are the favourites to bring the trophy home.

FIFA 2026 World Cup To Be the Most Expensive in History

In September, FIFA announced that the cheapest category tickets for the 2026 FIFA World Cup would start at $60. However, unlike previous years, FIFA did not release round-by-round and category-by-category ticket prices for the tournament. Instead, they held a lottery, where a chosen few fans got to check out the prices and buy the tickets in limited quantities.

Fans reported (via The Athletic) that $60 tickets were not widely available. Those were reserved only for a few group stage games and would put fans in the corners of the upper tiers of the stadiums, compromising visibility.

The cheapest official ticket available for the 2026 World Cup final is £1,500, for a category 4 ticket.

FIFA have done irreparable damage to a game that is meant for the fans.

Absolutely obscene. pic.twitter.com/86O1gtBXcG

— Footy Accumulators (@FootyAccums) October 3, 2025

Additionally, the cheap Category 4 tickets were not available for any of the opening matches for the hosts — the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

For the US opener, ticket prices range between $560 (Category 4) and $2,735 (Category 1). For Mexico, they go from $370 to $1825. And finally, for Canada, the prices are between $355 and $1745.

Prices for the Round of 16 matches range from $170 (Category 4; Houston/Mexico City/Seattle/Atlanta) to $890 (Category 1; New York/New Jersey). Quarter-finals are between $275 (Category 4; Boston) and $1690 (Category 1; LA).

FIFA 2026 World Cup semi-final tickets are between $420 (Category 4; Atlanta) and $2780 (Category 1; Dallas). Finally, the main event at the MetLife Stadium can cost you as much as $6730.

FIFA 2026 World Cup Ticket Prices in Full

Interestingly, these are only early-bird prices. Thanks to the dynamic pricing, prices are expected to skyrocket after the draw is made on 5th December.

FIFA 2026 World Cup Ticket Prices Compared to Qatar and Russia

The 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia was a grand success. Finalists France and Croatia entertained fans throughout the competition before delivering an unforgettable match-up in the title decider. Fans who travelled to Russia for the 2018 FIFA World Cup final got to see the match for as low as $110 from their Category 4 seats (via Statista). The best seats in the house officially went for $1100.

Play the all-new 2026 World Cup game of spot the $60 Category 4 tickets https://t.co/oTDE1ykBU0 pic.twitter.com/k68GzvbfJp

— James Nalton (@JDNalton) October 2, 2025

At the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the Category 1 ticket prices for the final saw a 46% jump, costing $1607. The Category 4 tickets went for $206.

At the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Category 4 tickets are going for $2030. This means fans would have to pay $423 more than they did to watch the 2022 Qatar World Cup final from their Category 1 seats.

If you want the best seats in the house for the 2026 FIFA World Cup at MetLife Stadium, you have to fork out a minimum of $6370.

Of course, these ticket prices are for the lucky few who get early access. Prices are set to shoot up when more fans get access to the sale.

Special Note: We have only considered Category 1 prices for simplicity