Day Before Kickoff, Nearly 180,000 World Cup Tickets Still Available
Ticket scalpers are expected to be among the World Cup’s first losers. The tournament opens in one day, but nearly 180,000 tickets remain for sale on official secondary-market platforms, according to a report in the Financial Times. The high supply means the median price on the official sites has fallen by 20% over the past month, and estimates suggest most of these resale transactions will end in a loss for sellers.
On FIFA’s secondary sales portal, 176,000 tickets for the group stage are currently listed for sale. Availability varies depending on the teams involved. For the three group-stage matches scheduled for Iran, 16,000 tickets are available, with the cheapest upper-tier ticket priced at $138. However, the United States, one of the tournament’s three host countries, is also struggling to resell all of its tickets, and for its opening match against Paraguay, 4,400 tickets are still available on secondary-market platforms. The median price for those tickets is more than $800, and the most expensive costs $1,120.
Similarly, for each of Saudi Arabia’s three scheduled matches, an average of 3,900 tickets are available, despite the team playing against Spain, considered one of the strongest sides in the tournament. The median price of tickets offered on resale platforms is now below face value. By contrast, tickets for Colombia’s matches are in high demand and are being sold for five times face value. The match between Colombia and Portugal in Miami is currently the most expensive, with tickets selling for six times their original price. The median price stands at $3,000.
In addition to the tickets offered on official resale platforms, FIFA is still offering 15,000 tickets for group-stage matches. Empty stands would be an embarrassment for the organization, which this time priced the tickets significantly higher than in previous tournaments, saying the prices were adjusted to local market conditions. The high prices and the use of dynamic pricing, under which prices change according to demand, have drawn criticism from fans and politicians. New York and New Jersey attorneys general have opened investigations into the conduct.
Prices also rise as the tournament progresses, and for the final, to be held in New Jersey on July 19, standard seats are priced at $5,575 and rise to $8,680 for better seats. In its initial sale, FIFA allowed individuals to purchase up to four tickets per match, and up to 40 tickets in total. These tickets can be offered for sale on the resale platforms, leading to sharp changes in prices and availability.
