FIFA World Cup resale tickets going for wild prices with big fees attached
The FIFA World Cup is coming next year — but good luck getting your hands on tickets.
After the first batch of tickets went on sale on Wednesday this week to those lucky enough to win the first presale lottery, the secondary market has officially begun as well.
FIFA’s official resale platform launched this week, but it’s not exactly a straightforward transaction.
FIFA hasn’t released official ticket prices for the tournament publicly, although reporters and fans have been able to compile a rough guide of the varied pricing for each match and city.
As reported by The Athletic, the most expensive ticket in Canada is a Category 1 ticket (close to the field) going for C$2,443 for Canada’s opening match on June 12 at Toronto’s BMO Field, while the cheapest tickets come in the Category 4 tickets for three non-Canada group stage matches at Vancouver’s BC Place, starting around C$84.
Meanwhile, the resale platform allows for uncapped sale prices, with tickets available for thousands of dollars over face value. As of time of publishing, there are hardly any tickets available for matches in Canada or elsewhere, with the phrase “currently unavailable” listed for most categories.
If you are lucky enough to get a single ticket in your cart — pairs seem unavailable — you might see prices upwards of $4,000, the most expensive price we saw so far in Canada for a Category 4 ticket in Toronto for the June 12 opener — nearly $1,600 higher than the face value for the most expensive ticket to the same match.
Also reported by The Athletic, the platform takes a 15 per cent fee from both buyers and sellers, meaning they’ll benefit three different times for each transaction. For example, if a ticket is listed for $100, the seller would take $85 while the buyer would end up paying $115.
Tickets do not yet include a specific seat location, but rather just a general area based on proximity to the field inside the stadium. Official locations will be assigned later.
Are there other ways to get FIFA World Cup tickets?
If you haven’t been one of the lucky few to make it through the first presale draw, don’t fret.
The second lottery will take place from Oct. 27 to 31, with a third and final lottery scheduled for shortly after the World Cup draw on Dec. 5. Both lotteries will give their winners specific purchase instructions and timeframes, should they be successful.
All ticket purchases and lottery entries require a FIFA ID, which can be obtained for free by signing up on FIFA’s ticketing platform.
FIFA has made it clear that they cannot guarantee tickets will be available for purchase to successful draw winners at their designated time slot.
All remaining tickets will then be made available to the general public.
When and where is the World Cup?
The 48-team tournament takes place next June and July in 16 different host cities across three countries: Toronto and Vancouver in Canada, three in Mexico, and 11 in the United States. The tournament kicks off on June 11, 2026, with the final set for July 19, 2026, at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium.