FIFA's latest World Cup ticket category tops $4k per seat

It just got more expensive to sit in prime seats at the 2026 World Cup.

Already facing backlash for ticket prices, FIFA has added "front category" admission to its sales website. What FIFA is calling a front category 1 seat to see the United States play Paraguay on June 12 in Inglewood, Calif., is available for $4,105.

Earlier the top price for a category 1 ticket was $2,735. These tickets have been topped by the new ticket class.

There also is a new front category 2 tier, with tickets going for up to $2,330, for the U.S. opener.

Canada's opening-round match against Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 12 in Toronto also has undergone an upgrade to availability with the addition of front category 1 tickets, selling for as much as $3,360.

Ticket prices for the 104 matches -- to be played from June 11-July 19 across 16 host cities in the United States, Mexico and Canada -- have been a major source of discussion among fans.

In early March, FIFA raised its top ticket price for the World Cup final to $10,990 during the glitch-hampered reopening of sales. The price had been $8,680 when FIFA sold tickets after the tournament draw in December.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino repeatedly has said that all 104 matches of the 2026 World Cup will be sold out. After initial backlash from fans over exorbitant costs, a "supporters-tier" category of tickets was added in December.

--Field Level Media