Ticket prices for the 2026 World Cup have surged on FIFA’s official resale platform, with seats for many matches listed at several times their face value, even though most tickets were only recently distributed following the end of the main sales phase in January.

Weeks after FIFA President Gianni Infantino warned that tickets appearing on resale sites were likely to carry exorbitant price tags, those concerns have materialized — on world football’s own platform.

As of Wednesday, a Category 3 seat — located in the upper tier of the stands — for the tournament’s opening match between Mexico and South Africa at Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium on June 11 was listed at $5,324, compared with its original price of $895.

Meanwhile, a Category 3 seat for the World Cup final on July 19 in East Rutherford, New Jersey, was advertised at an eye-watering $143,750 — more than 41 times its face value of $3,450. The cheapest available resale ticket for the final was listed at $9,775.

In a few rare cases, however, prices have fallen. One ticket for Austria’s group-stage match against Jordan at Levi’s Stadium in California — which hosted Sunday’s Super Bowl — is being offered for $552, despite originally costing $620.

For many football fans, the prices listed on FIFA’s resale site confirm concerns voiced since the tournament draw in December.

“These exorbitant prices unfortunately don’t surprise me. It reflects what we know and what we fight against: many people buy to resell,” said Guillaume Aupretre, spokesperson for the France national team supporters’ group Irresistibles Francais, which has nearly 2,500 members.

“In the end, who pays the price? Passionate fans who are left facing outrageous offers. We would prefer this benefit real supporters who travel to back their team, but unfortunately that’s not the case.”

Despite the steep price tags, demand remains strong, reflecting a global frenzy that has generated some 500 million ticket requests, according to FIFA.

‘Monumental betrayal’
While its resale platform carries FIFA’s endorsement, the governing body specifies in its terms of sale that it acts only as a facilitator — taking a 15% fee — in this fan-to-fan marketplace, with resellers setting their own prices.

“Generally speaking, the pricing model adopted for FIFA World Cup 26 reflects the existing market practice for major entertainment and sporting events within our host countries, soccer included,” FIFA said in a statement.

“This also reflects the treatment of the secondary ticket market, which has a distinct legal framework compared with many other parts of the world. We remain focused on ensuring fair access to our game for both existing and prospective fans.”

The resale market is unregulated in the United States and Canada. In Mexico, reselling a ticket above face value is prohibited, but only if the ticket is purchased in Mexico using local currency.

Ticketing has become one of the most contentious issues surrounding the tournament, with fan groups such as Football Supporters Europe accusing FIFA of a “monumental betrayal” over pricing.

In response, FIFA introduced a limited allocation of tickets priced at $60 for official supporters’ groups. Critics argue that the discounted category falls far short of addressing the broader problem.

Since February 5, FIFA has been notifying applicants whether they secured tickets during the second sales phase, which ended in January.

A final “last-minute” sales phase will run from April until the end of the tournament on a first-come, first-served basis.

During these sales phases, FIFA applies what it calls “variable pricing,” meaning prices fluctuate according to demand and availability for each match. However, it emphasizes that it does not use a dynamic pricing model, as prices are not automatically adjusted.