Cheapest ticket for USA - Paraguay is 1000 dollars

Fans hoping to secure tickets for the World Cup still have reason to be optimistic, as the latest reports indicate that approximately 180,000 tickets remain available on official resale platforms. A new analysis published by the Financial Times shows that nearly 180,000 tickets are currently listed on FIFA's official resale portals for the tournament, which kicks off on Thursday with the match between Mexico and South Africa.

Somali referee returns home to hero’s welcome after World Cup heartbreak [VIDEO]

The main reason for this situation is FIFA's ticket pricing policy. Prices have been set so high that ticket scalpers and resellers have, in some cases, been forced to reduce their asking prices by around 20 percent just to make sales. Even for the least in-demand matches, such as Cape Verde vs. Saudi Arabia and Qatar vs. Switzerland, fans still have to pay around 140 dollars for the cheapest seats. As for the United States' opening match against Paraguay, the most expensive standard tickets have reached a staggering 2,735 dollars. This is even higher than the price of the best seats available for the 2022 World Cup final. Meanwhile, the cheapest seats for the Americans' first match are priced at around 1,000 dollars. The Athletic reported that ticket prices for any match at any stage of the 2026 World Cup are higher than the equivalent tickets for any previous FIFA tournament in history.

Gullit calls out Infantino as World Cup chaos puts FIFA under fire

The hosts of this year's World Cup are the United States, Canada, and Mexico, but according to Financial Times data, ticket sales have been slowest for matches played in the United States. For example, the United States' opening game against Paraguay will be played at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, near Los Angeles, on June 13, and around 4,000 tickets were still available on resale platforms for that match. However, according to a report by NPR, fans interested in attending the game do not necessarily need to use resale platforms. As of Monday, approximately 132 regular primary-market tickets were still unsold and available directly through official channels.

Tension in the French team…over tickets for families

The situation among the other host nations varies. Canada's opening match against Bosnia and Herzegovina will also be played on June 13, at BMO Field in Toronto, and as of Monday there were still 226 regular tickets available for purchase. Mexico, on the other hand, is the only host nation where demand has reached maximum levels. Their opening match against South Africa, which will be played on Thursday at the stadium in Mexico City, is the only opening fixture involving a host nation that has officially sold out completely.