Ticket Prices Plummet After Host Nations Exit 2026 World Cup

The United States lost to Belgium on Monday, July 6, 2026, and Mexico fell to England on Sunday, July 5, 2026. Canada had been eliminated the previous week. Within days, secondary-market prices for the quarterfinals dropped sharply: the Spain-Belgium match in Los Angeles fell about 65 % (from roughly $3,200 to $1,100), while the England-Norway game in Miami fell about 45 % (from near $4,000 to $2,000).

USA Today

Ticket prices for the 2026 FIFA World Cup were set high from the outset, prompting criticism when the tournament began. FIFA president Gianni Infantino defended the pricing, saying the market “is the most developed in the world.” The expectation that all three host nations—United States, Mexico, and Canada—would advance had driven early demand, especially for quarterfinal slots that could have featured a U.S. team.

Ticket prices for the 2026 World Cup have sharply dropped after the elimination of the USA, Mexico, and Canada - CNN

• Price drops: Spain-Belgium tickets fell 65 % (TickPick) and 70 % (USA Today) after the U.S. exit; England-Norway tickets fell 45 %–46 % after Mexico’s loss.

CNN

• Current lowest offers: $1,381 for Spain-Belgium (TickPick) and $2,049 for England-Norway (TickPick).

CNN

• Final-match inventory: FIFA listed 1,200 category-two tickets at $7,380 each, 68 category-one tickets ranging $19,995–$32,970, and hospitality tickets at $32,500–$34,500.

ESPN

• Attendance: 6.2 million fans had attended matches by the round of 16, filling 99.7 % of seats with an average crowd of 65,204 per game.

USA Today

• Beer sales: The Beer Institute reported a 6.4 % rise in bar and restaurant beer sales over the past four weeks, with host-city increases of 14 % (Massachusetts 23 %, New York metro 19 %, California 14 %).

CNN

Lower resale prices have enabled families like 65-year-old Jake van Baarsel to purchase two tickets for $1,000 each, creating “memory-making” moments with grandchildren. Conversely, Tom’s Watch Bar—an 18-location U.S. chain—projects a 50 % revenue decline on World Cup days without U.S. or Mexican teams, though overall bar sales remain 25 % above non-World Cup days.

CNN

• TickPick: Co-CEO Brett Goldberg said the back-to-back losses caused “an immediate and significant drop in demand” for the quarterfinal matchups.

CNN

• Tom’s Watch Bar: Co-founder Brooks Schaden warned that the host-nation exits will cut business by half on World Cup days.

CNN

• Beer Institute: Chief economist Andrew Heritage noted that while the U.S. run “helped build excitement,” the tournament’s appeal “is bigger than any one team.”

CNN

• FIFA: The governing body did not comment on why additional final-match tickets appeared on its marketplace.

USA Today

• Infantino: At a conference he asserted, “We have to look at the market – we are in the market in which entertainment is the most developed in the world.”

USA Today

Consumers have labeled the pricing “highway robbery” (Kourosh Modarress) and “steep” (Lisandro Pineda), arguing that resale marks up already expensive tickets and excludes many fans.

ESPN

• “When they lost on back-to-back days in the Round of 16, there was an immediate and significant drop in demand for their respective quarterfinal matchup.” — Brett Goldberg, Co-CEO, TickPick

CNN

• “Quite frankly, price was no object,” — Brooks Schaden, Co-founder & Co-CEO, Tom’s Watch Bar

CNN

• “The US team’s run helped build excitement, but the data show this tournament is bigger than any one team,” — Andrew Heritage, Chief Economist, Beer Institute

CNN

• “It's one of those things -- it's a memory maker for my grandson and me,” — Jake van Baarsel, 65, Riverside, California

ESPN

• “I think it's highway robbery," he said.” — Kourosh Modarress, 68, Los Angeles

ESPN

Sources differ on the exact percentage decline for the Spain-Belgium quarterfinal (65 % per TickPick vs. 70 % per USA Today). Reported lowest prices also vary ($1,100 vs. $1,381). FIFA has not explained why its last-minute site listed additional tickets after previously indicating the final was sold out.

USA Today

FIFA’s marketplace lists 1,200 category-two tickets at $7,380 each for the July 19 final at MetLife Stadium, alongside limited premium options. No further price-adjustment announcements have been made.

ESPN