'Scammed': FIFA adds new more expensive World Cup ticket categories
FIFA added new, even more expensive tiers of tickets for this year’s World Cup, asking up to $US4,105 ($5802) for a front category 1 seat at the US opener against Paraguay in Inglewood, California, on June 12.
Last week, FIFA had asked for a top price of $2,735 ($3866) for category 1 tickets for the match but added new “front category” pricing.
FIFA also added a front category 2 tier to its ticket sales website without public announcement, asking $US1,940 ($2742) to $US2,330 ($3293) for those tickets for the US opener. The new categories were first reported by The Athletic.
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The World Cup will be held from June 11 to July 19 in 16 cities in the US, Mexico and Canada.
Football's governing body had in its September 9 “ticket products and categories” information called category 1 “the highest-priced seats, located primarily in the lower tier” but appears to have withheld some seats from that category. It had labelled category 2 as “positioned outside of category 1 areas, available in both lower and upper tiers.”
FIFA did not respond to an email sent to its media office seeking comment.
FIFA added seats at up to $US3,360 ($4749) in front category 1 for Canada’s opener against Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 12 in Toronto.
US president Donald Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino display the ceremonial first ticket for the 2026 World Cup final. Annabelle Gordon/UPI/Bloomberg via Getty Images
For round of 16 games, it added $US905 seats in Philadelphia.
FIFA last week raised its top ticket price for the World Cup final to $10,990 ($15,534) during the glitch-hampered reopening of sales.
The price had been $US8,680 ($12,269) when FIFA sold tickets after the tournament draw in December.
FIFA’s category 2 tickets for the July 19 game at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, were $US7,380 ($10,431), up from $US5,575 ($7880), and category 3 cost $US5,785 ($8177), an increase from $US4,185 ($5915).
Fans who spoke to the The Athletic said they felt "scammed" and "misled" by how the ticketing process has been handled.
No tickets appeared to be available for the final on Thursday on FIFA's ticket site.
