FIFA Announces Ticket Price Decreases for World Cup Play-Offs

FIFA has announced that tickets for this month’s intercontinental play-offs in Mexico have gone on sale, and at significantly decreased prices compared to tickets for this summer’s final tournament.

Tickets for the FIFA World Cup 2026 Play-Off Tournament, which will be contested in Guadalajara and Monterrey from March 23-31, have so far been sold by FIFA for as low as $11.30 (200 Mexican pesos) — a sharp drop from the average $4,000 to $8,680 price range that the organization is charging for the World Cup Final in  New Jersey on July 19.

The Play-Off Tournament, which includes two Inter-Confederation Play-Offs featuring Iraq, Bolivia and Suriname on one side and Congo DR, Jamaica and New Caledonia on the other, will decide two of the remaining six final berths for the FIFA World Cup. The six national teams represent five federations: Iraq for AFC (Asia), Congo DR for CAF (Africa), Jamaica and Suriname for Concacaf (Central America), Bolivia for CONMEBOL (South America) and New Caledonia for OFC (Oceania).

Jamaica will face New Caledonia in Guadalajara on March 26, with the winner playing Congo DR in the final on March 31.

Meanwhile, Bolivia and Suriname will meet in Monterrey on March 26, with the winner going up against Iraq five days later.

Pricing and Affordability Concerns

Pricing and affordability remain key issues for fans traveling to matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. An analysis by The Guardian indicated that there was a tenfold increase in some tickets for this year’s edition compared to Qatar 2022 and that even the so-called “cheap seats” were at least three times pricier in most rounds than they were for the same competition four years ago.

For the first time ever at a World Cup, FIFA employed a dynamic pricing — or “variable pricing” — strategy where ticket prices shift according to demand and match popularity. The practice is common particularly in the U.S. entertainment industry but it is largely unknown territory for soccer fans traveling over from other countries, and many have been priced out of matches altogether.

Such was the anger around escalating ticket prices that FIFA countered fans backlash by announcing a new dedicated ticket pricing tier — the Supporter Entry Tier —  that makes tickets available at the fixed price of $60 for each of the 104 matches, including the final. However, this applies to only around 2% of all 2026 World Cup tickets, raising further questions around accessibility.

Each of the 48 national federations whose national teams qualify for the tournament proper will receive a couple hundred $60 tickets, and each federation will decide how to distribute them to fans who have previously attended matches.

The majority of seats on FIFA’s ticket resale platform are currently priced at more than $1,000, while FIFA can earn additional 15% fees from buyers and sellers as it seeks to cut out the secondary market.

Despite FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s claims that all 104 matches at the World Cup have already sold out, some fans have received emails from FIFA that offer an extended 48-hour window for ticket sales. Last month, the organization said that 500 million ticket requests had been submitted for the tournament, which is more than six times the availability of seats that FIFA has to fill for the duration of the competition.

On top of the games themselves, fans will deal with increased costs for hotels and other short-term accommodation, driven by demand from soccer fans. Fans that decide to drive to matches will also face parking costs of up to $175 per vehicle if they park on stadium facilities.