World Cup Ticket Prices in Free Fall Amid Struggling Sales

Resale prices for FIFA World Cup tickets continue to slide, as the organizers battle underwhelming interest in what is the biggest sporting event of the year, which kicks off on June 11.

According to those charted on Ticketdata.com, prices for some of the more anticipated early games-such as the United States’ opener against Paraguay-have dropped by more than 30 percent over the past month. Prices have fallen for all but two of the U.S.-hosted games and by 24 percent on average, with many seeing drops of more than 50 percent.

FIFA's president, Gianni Infantino, has likened the interest in the competition, which will be played in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, to "1,000 years of World Cups at once," but the drop in prices coincides with other signs of sluggish demand.

Host city hotel owners and hospitality industry representatives told Newsweek that bookings are running below forecasts and businesses have been left scrambling to adjust after investing heavily to prepare for what was supposed to be an influx of visitors this summer.

Why Ticket Prices Are Falling

Ticket prices on resale websites and FIFA's official terminal remain significantly higher than past competitions-one of the reasons observers say interest in the competition is lower than expected.

"FIFA overestimated [the] ticket demand forecast and it is biting them hard," said Scott Friedman, host of the show Ticket Talk.

"FIFA priced tickets too high for all 104 games, complete disaster, and they will be forced to drop them all greatly in next 30+ days," he told Newsweek. "A terrible overall ticketing distribution execution for the world's biggest sporting tournament."

In an interview with the New York Post last week, President Donald Trump was asked for comment on the $1,000 price tag for the U.S. team's opening game against Paraguay on June 12.

"I wouldn't pay it either, to be honest with you,” he said.

In addition to resales, the organization continues to sell last-minute batches through its own website, with thousands still available, according to a report from Front Office Sports. However, because of FIFA's demand-based "dynamic pricing" model, the outlet reported that many of the prices have plummeted, including for the U.S.-Paraguay game.

The cost of front Category 1 seats fell from $4,105 in the week of May 4 to $3,420 by Monday, while Category 2 tickets dropped from $2,330 to $2,135 over the same period.

And Ticketdata.com reveals declines at least as pronounced across resale marketplaces.

Ticketdata.com figures show that prices for the United States’ group-stage matches against Paraguay, Australia and Turkey have each fallen by at least 30 percent over the past month-the Turkey game seeing the steepest decline of 46 percent.

And throughout the rest of the competition, several other games have experienced even sharper drops, including Australia vs. Turkey (down 60 percent), Iraq vs. Norway (down 54 percent) and Paraguay vs. Turkey (down 53 percent).

Although resale prices typically decline as events near, the size of these drops highlights a disconnect between buyer demand and the premiums sellers are placing on the tickets.

US Prepares for an Underwhelming World Cup

This sluggish demand has also been revealed in the services, with hotels across host cities reporting that bookings continue to underwhelm.

According to a recent survey of owners and operators by the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA), 80 percent of those in U.S. host markets said bookings were "tracking below initial forecasts." This figure rose to 85 percent to 90 percent in Kansas City, where demand is "trailing a typical June or July."

AHLA noted that 65 percent to 70 percent of respondents cited visa barriers and "broader geopolitical concerns" as factors that were "significantly suppressing international demand."

"Forward indicators show there is still meaningful opportunity ahead," AHLA told Newsweek. "We expect the stadiums will be full, but to fully realize the opportunity, the U.S. and FIFA must ensure a welcoming and seamless experience for international travelers."

Vijay Dandapani, president and CEO of the Hotel Association of New York City, last week told Newsweek that nearly half of the city's hotels had not experienced any World Cup-related boost in bookings, with owners and operators now expecting to fall short of projected room revenues by more than $100 million.

As well as political and travel-related concerns, Dandapi said that "extraordinarily high ticket prices compared to the last tournament in Doha" could also be blamed for the current trends.

"Ticket prices have remained high and that likely has deterred some travelers–both domestic and international," said Michael Bellisario, senior research analyst at Baird Equity Research.

His firm had originally forecast that the competition would lift U.S. hotels’ revenue per available room (RevPAR) by 75 to 100 basis points, but he would now scale this back to a more modest 25-50 basis points amid, among other things, "hesitancy from foreign travelers to come to the United States."

In a bid to ease travel for would-be attendees, the State Department on Wednesday announced that it would be waiving a requirement for visa applicants from 50 countries to pay a $15,000 deposit when travelling to the U.S.-provided they have a valid ticket for the competition.

"The United States is excited to organize the biggest and best FIFA World Cup in history,” Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Mora Namdar told Newsweek in a statement.

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This story was originally published May 14, 2026 at 7:48 AM.