Scalpers will likely be the first to lose out at this year’s World Cup, with almost 180,000 tickets still available on official resale platforms just days before the tournament begins.
The median price of tickets on the official resale portal fell 20% in the last month. Considering the 26% fee charged on transactions by the platform, the Financial Times calculated that most resales could now result in a loss.
The FIFA resale portal listed this Tuesday (9) 176 thousand tickets for the group stage of the competition, when each team will face three others. The FT’s estimates of prices and availability, based on data collected from the FIFA portal, also show a large difference in enthusiasm for games from different teams. Around 16,000 tickets went unsold for games involving Iran, with the cheapest standard seat on the market costing $138.
Even the United States, the tournament’s main host, is struggling to sell tickets, with 4,400 still available on the resale portal for the team’s opening game against Paraguay. Despite the discounts, the average ticket quoted on the website for the game still costs more than US$800. The cheapest tickets available for this match directly through FIFA cost US$1,120.
In addition to resales, FIFA continues to list around 15,000 tickets for sale for group stage games.
Empty seats would be an embarrassment for FIFA (International Football Federation), the highest governing body in world football, which chose to price tickets well above previous editions of the World Cup, claiming to be in line with local market conditions. The five-week tournament, in the United States, Mexico and Canada, starts on Thursday (11).
Ticket costs and the use of dynamic pricing — in which prices rise and fall according to demand — generated a strong reaction from fan groups and local politicians. The New York and New Jersey attorneys general opened investigations into what they called “impossibly high” prices.
Supporter groups estimate that the cost of following a team at the World Cup will be five times higher than four years ago. Prices for the World Cup final in New Jersey start at $4,185, rising to $5,575 for “standard” seats and $8,680 for “premium.”
FIFA has previously praised strong demand for World Cup tickets and said in January that its sales website had received more than 500 million booking requests. The organization, a Zurich-based nonprofit, said it expects to raise more than $3 billion from ticket sales and hospitality during the tournament, more than three times the amount of the previous World Cup in Qatar in 2022.
In the group stage, an average of 3,900 tickets remain available for each of the three games involving Saudi Arabia, despite the country having a relatively attractive group against former champions Spain and Uruguay. The median price of tickets offered for the “Green Falcons” is now below face value.
Riyadh spent to build a reputation in the sport ahead of its successful bid to host the 2034 World Cup. But its team proved no more popular than its final group opponent, Cape Verde, a nation with a population of just around 500,000 people.
In contrast, there is enthusiasm for the matches in Mexico — whose three group stage games are being played at home in Mexico City and Guadalajara. There are just 300 tickets available per game, trading for an average of four times the original purchase price.
Tickets to Colombia registered the highest average increase in the resale market, being traded at more than five times their face value. The game between Colombia and Portugal in Miami is currently the most valued, costing on average six times its face value. The median ticket still on sale is listed at $3,000.
Some small countries also generate fan enthusiasm. The few remaining tickets to see Scotland, who qualified for their first World Cup since 1998, are trading at 85% above their initial release price. The average ticket available to see Scotland face Brazil costs around US$2,000.
FIFA allowed individuals to purchase four tickets per game and up to 40 in total. These can then be resold on resale platforms, meaning current prices for entry into games are extremely variable. In Toronto, where local laws against scalpers dictate that resales must be at face value, few tickets are available for resale.
In response to criticism over high prices, FIFA introduced a small number of cheaper tickets. The entity, which was approached for comment, previously said it was “focused on ensuring fair access to our game for existing fans, but also potential new fans”, and that its ticketing strategy covered “a wide range of price points”.
