Ticket sales for Seattle World Cup games: Prices have dipped one month out from games

The one-month countdown to the first men's World Cup match in Seattle has officially begun.

Don't have plans yet? Don't worry - there are plenty of places to watch, from bars to barges. Or, depending on what you're willing to pay, you can still get tickets to watch a game live from Lumen Field (to be renamed Seattle Stadium during the tournament).

The market has shifted in recent weeks, as fans hoping to experience the World Cup live can now get a ticket to the Qatar vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 24 for around $200, while the cheapest seat for the United States' match vs. Australia has dipped out of the four-figure range. Tickets aren't cheap by any means, but prices are dropping, with data collected from the resale market indicating that the average cost to get into Seattle's group stage matches has decreased almost 30% over the last 30 days.

Where are tickets still available?

Fans can still purchase tickets directly from FIFA as part of their last-minute sales phase, which will continue through the end of the tournament. A FIFA spokesperson said there isn't a set schedule for when tickets are released, or for which games, but they encourage fans to check the website periodically.

The availability of tickets from the last-minute sales phase varies by game. For the United States vs. Australia game, there are only tickets available in Front Category 1 (a premium seating option in the lower rows) for over $2,000. For the Egypt vs. Iran match, tickets are available in multiple categories, including 1 and 2, with the cheapest starting at $400.

FIFA declined to answer which games in Seattle had the most tickets remaining, or how ticket prices have trended in recent weeks.

In addition to tickets released in the last-minute sales phase, there's the resale market. FIFA has its own resale platform, which the organization has encouraged fans to use to ensure the tickets are legitimate. Outside of FIFA, tickets are available on the secondary market from usual suppliers like Ticketmaster, StubHub and SeatGeek, among others.

What will it cost to go to each of the games?

Ticket sellers and data often refer to the "get in" cost of a game, a term that refers to the lowest priced seat available.

Here's what it'll cost fans to get into each of the four group stages matches in Seattle as of May 14:

* $462 for Belgium vs. Egypt on June 16

* $906 for the United States vs. Australia game on June 19

* $202 for the Qatar vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 24

* $226 for the Egypt vs. Iran on June 26.

For the July 1 Round of 32 match tickets start at $345 and the July 7 Round of 16, tickets start at $668, according to TicketData.com.

How does that compare to where things were a few weeks ago?

TicketData.com, a website that collects data from key resale sites to track trends and real-time changes in ticket prices, reported that the average "get in" ticket price for the four group stage matches in Seattle has fallen 26% over the last 30 days.

The website scrapes data from the biggest resellers to report real-time changes and track trends. While it doesn't get data from FIFA's ticketing platform, founder Keith Pagello said numbers from FIFA's official ecosystem and the resale market generally align closely.

Having the cheapest seat to the United States vs. Australia game sitting at approximately $900 might seem outrageous to some. But it's a 37% decrease from where things stood 30 days ago.

Pagello said that Seattle isn't currently an outlier when compared to other cities. Several, including Dallas, Los Angeles, Vancouver and Houston have seen similar percent drops over the past 30 days.

Why are prices coming down?

The trend isn't a surprise, Pagello said, it's a reflection of FIFA's goal to optimize ticket revenue.

"They like to start prices high and keep them there as long as they can," he said. "They hope that there's enough purchasing velocity to support their high prices, and so long as there are enough people buying tickets at the high prices, they are going to keep them there."

If there aren't enough buyers willing to purchase at that price, eventually the market is going to adjust. Pagello said he disagrees with the claims that stadiums will be empty, or that people don't care about the game. Instead, he believes that the demand for tickets is still there, just not the way they are priced.

"For example, for USA vs. Australia, if FIFA released tickets at $500 they would sell out in half a second … I think that goes to show there is healthy demand, but maybe not quite enough for people to keep buying at these $1,000 plus prices, even for a USA game," Pagello said.

Where does that leave things?

Anthony Beyrouti, a ticket broker and founder of venuekings.com, said declining ticket prices are creating new opportunities for people to go to games.

He said for fans looking to have the World Cup experience without breaking the bank, tickets to the less-expensive game like Qatar vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina are a great option.

Pagello said it's "an ideal time to be a buyer" as prices continue to come down.

"The momentum is in the buyer's hands right now," Pagello said. "We're seeing prices drop. They're kind of continuing to drop every couple of days."

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This story was originally published May 15, 2026 at 6:37 AM.