Tickets for the final of the upcoming FIFA Men’s World Cup are being listed on FIFA’s official resale platform for more than $2.2 million each, highlighting growing controversy over soaring matchday costs ahead of the tournament.
According to listings on FIFA’s “resale/exchange marketplace,” four Category 1 seats for the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19 are priced at $2,299,998.85 (£1.7m) apiece. The listings were first reported by Sky News.
Other seats in the same section, located behind one of the goals in the 82,500-capacity stadium, are being offered at around $16,098 (£11,953), underscoring a dramatic price gap within the same category.
FIFA does not directly set resale prices, but operates the platform and takes a 15% commission from both buyers and sellers. In theory, the governing body would earn around $600,000 from a single sale at the listed price.
Unlike previous tournaments where resale prices were capped at face value, the 2026 system allows market-driven pricing in the United States and Canada, while Mexico operates a separate platform restricting resale above face value for domestic buyers.
FIFA has faced increasing criticism over ticket pricing for the tournament, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Fans have previously complained about technical issues, long queues, and sharp price increases during sales phases.
The governing body has also recently introduced a new premium category of tickets, “Front Category 1,” which critics say further inflates costs for the best seats.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has defended the pricing model, describing it as part of a “very special market” and insisting that FIFA operates as a non-profit organisation, with revenue reinvested into global football development.
A FIFA spokesperson said the resale system reflects “standard ticket market practices” used across major sporting and entertainment events in North America and argued that variable pricing helps “optimise sales and attendance.”
The World Cup is scheduled to begin on June 11, with anticipation growing alongside rising concern about affordability for fans hoping to attend the tournament’s biggest matches.
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