LONDON — World Cup ticket prices could drop in the weeks leading up to the tournament, with resale tickets now significantly cheaper than those still available direct from FIFA in many instances, including for the United States’ opener against Paraguay.
FIFA opened a new sales window and for the co-hosts’ first match in Los Angeles a Category 1 ticket on Friday morning was priced at 2,735 US dollars (£2,013).
On FIFA’s resale platform, Category 1 tickets were available from 1,300 USD (£957) – less US president Donald Trump was asked about tickets for that first game being in four figures by the New York Post and said: “I wouldn’t pay that either.”
FIFA has controversially adopted a dynamic pricing strategy for its primary ticket sales and, if resale prices continue to remain cheaper, it could drive down the cost of those primary tickets, AP reported.
Tickets were not showing as available for 10 matches on the primary ticketing site on Friday morning, including the final, the group stage game between Portugal and Colombia, a potential last-32 match involving Lionel Messi’s Argentina in Miami and the possible last-16 match between England and Mexico in Mexico City.
FIFA did not confirm on Friday morning whether that meant all tickets for those matches were now sold out or whether more might still be made available.
The cheapest Category 4 resale ticket available for the final on Friday morning was listed at 9,373 USD (£6,892), with the most expensive Category 1 tickets priced at 345,000 USD – over £250,000.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino told his organisation’s Congress last week there had been 500 million ticket requests.
“We sold 100 per cent of the inventory that we put on the market, which is more or less 90 per cent of the global inventory so far,” he added.
“And, of course, we are always putting tickets on the market. There are expensive tickets, yes, but there are also affordable tickets.”
