World Cup resale ticket prices continue to drop, including for USMNT opener

Ticket prices have long been a topic of discussion around the World Cup, with fans facing high buy-ins for even some of the cheapest available seats. But on the resale market, prices have started to come down. The USMNT’s average get-in cost has dropped 38.7 percent over a three-month period, according to TicketData, falling to $865 across their three group-stage games. Iraq have seen an even steeper drop over that same span, with average get-in cost falling 41.7 percent to $342. Turkey have seen the biggest drop, with their average get-in cost falling 48.7 percent to $428.

However, some group-stage games remain expensive. Portugal-Colombia, held in Miami, is one of the more desirable fixtures of the opening round and has a get-in price of more than $3,000. Colombia are also the most expensive team to see on the resale market, a figure that can perhaps be attributed to the strength of their group.

For the USMNT, things are still expensive - if a little more reasonable. Get-in prices dropped below $1,000 for the first time since January earlier this week for their opening game against Paraguay in Los Angeles on June 12. There have been widespread reports that tickets for that game have been tough to move. The Athletic reported last month that just 40,934 tickets had been sold for the opener. Los Angeles Stadium, as it will be named for the duration of the tournament, can seat around 70,000.

Some of the fluctuation in prices can be attributed to the nature of the secondary market, where resale prices often rise and fall based on demand, availability and timing. That volatility comes alongside broader criticism of World Cup ticket costs, with FIFA’s official prices already higher than those outlined in the original bidding document - and well above any previous tournament. But on resale platforms, prices could still shift significantly before the tournament, particularly as more tickets enter the market or sellers lower asking prices closer to kickoff.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino recently commented on the continued conversation of the ticket prices, stressing the level of demand and that there are varying degrees of pricing.

“We had 500 million ticket requests," he said at the FIFA Congress in Vancouver. "In the last two (FIFA) World Cups together, we had 50 million ticket requests. Here, 500 million. We sold 100 percent of the inventory that we put on the market, which is more or less 90 percent of the global inventory so far. And, of course, we are always putting tickets on the market. There are expensive tickets, yes, but there are also affordable tickets.”

FIFA’s last-minute sales phase is already open, with tickets available on a first-come, first-served basis and subject to availability.