World Cup 2026 ticket prices cause shock with dynamic pricing in use

Donald Trumo (L) and Gianni Infantino (R) at the FIFA Club World Cup Final
Donald Trump and Gianni Infantino are likely to be highly visible at next year's competition (Image credit: Getty Images)

The 2026 World Cup is just around the corner, and FIFA have now revealed what it might cost fans to see some of the action live.

Football’s biggest international tournament gets underway next summer, to be hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The governing body’s revamped Club World Cup also went Stateside this summer, with prices starting high initially, before attendance fears saw some admission fees drop as low as $5 in an attempt to get punters through the gates.

World Cup 2026 to use dynamic pricing, with starting cost revealed

Lionel Messi celebrates with the World Cup trophy after Argentina's win on penalties over France in the 2022 World Cup final at Lusail Stadium in Qatar.

Lionel Messi's Argentina lifted the famed trophy last time around (Image credit: Getty Images)

Dynamic pricing is commonplace in America, but first entered British consciousness when Oasis put their reunion tour on sale. Under the system, price increases or decreases depending on demand, which saw the Manchester band’s initial £135 tickets rocket to £355 in the blink of an eye.

FIFA are set to use the system again for the World Cup, but have learnt their lesson from this summer’s Club World Cup.

Chelsea and Donald Trump with the Club World Cup trophy

Trump was front and centre as Chelsea lifted the Club World Cup – where prices plummeted for some games as demand was low (Image credit: Getty Images)

It has now been revealed that the cheapest World Cup tickets will start as low as $60, which will likely be for ‘Category 4’ tickets, with a tiered system also in place going up to Category 1 for the best seats.

That affordability, however, is not expected to last throughout the tournament, with the Daily Mail reporting that tickets to the final could end up setting supporters back a whopping $6,730.

A FIFA spokesperson said: “We will adapt prices as per the demand we see, as per the remaining inventory.

“While we have committed to the starting point we will apply variable pricing from day one of the process. We do not intend at all to change prices every five minutes.”

FIFA president Gianni Infantino

Infantino has called this World Cup "the biggest, most inclusive and most exciting" event ever

In FourFourTwo’s opinion, while $60 is, on the face of it, an attractive price for football’s ultimate competition, we’ll wait and see how many tickets actually go for that price.

Dead rubbers and minnows facing each other, maybe, but expect prices to shoot up once the big hitters meet each other.

As Oasis fans will be only too aware, once a battle for tickets commences, the cost involved can quickly become too much to stomach.

Moreover, when combined with travel and accommodation from this side of the Atlantic, even theoretical $60 tickets don’t make it a particularly cheap trip for Three Lions fans.

Isaac Stacey Stronge
Freelance Writer

Isaac Stacey Stronge is a freelance football writer working for FourFourTwo, Manchester United and Football League World. He has been a season ticket holder at Stockport County throughout the Hatters’ meteoric rise from the National League North to League One and is a die-hard Paddy Madden fan.

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