FIFA has increased ticket prices for the 2026 World Cup for the second time in two months, with some group-stage seats now costing up to $700, and Category 1 tickets for the final rising to $8,680, nearly $2,000 more than the October price.

The new prices were introduced as a fresh lottery phase opened on Thursday, marking the most extensive use yet of FIFA’s “variable pricing” system, which adjusts ticket costs based on demand after last week’s draw confirmed matchups.

Category 1 prices rose for 80 of 104 matches, with fixtures involving Argentina, Brazil and Portugal placed in the highest pricing tier. Several matches featuring African teams were also priced at premium levels, including Brazil v Morocco and Argentina v Algeria, each listed at $700 in Category 1.

South Africa’s opener against Mexico in Mexico City is among the most expensive group-stage tickets of the tournament, with Category 1 seats priced at $2,355, due to host-nation pricing rules.

Tickets for France v Senegal and Norway v Senegal in New York/New Jersey were set at $620, while England v Ghana in Boston will cost $600 in Category 1.

FIFA defended the pricing model as consistent with North American market practices. Fan groups, including Football Supporters Europe, criticised the increases as “a monumental betrayal,” warning that the tournament risks pricing out ordinary supporters.

The current lottery window closes Jan. 13, with successful applicants to be charged in February.

Table: Most Expensive Matches Involving African Teams (Group Stage)

RANKED TABLE: MOST EXPENSIVE AFRICAN-TEAM MATCHES (GROUP STAGE)

(Based on FIFA’s December pricing update)

Key Takeaways

• South Africa’s opener vs Mexico is by far the most expensive African-related match, reflecting host-nation dynamic pricing.
• Morocco, Algeria, Senegal, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, and Egypt all feature in high-demand fixtures priced at premium levels.
• Matches involving European giants — Brazil, Argentina, France, Germany, England — drive the steepest prices for African teams.
• Lower-tier African fixtures in Monterrey and Vancouver remain relatively affordable compared to U.S. and Mexico-based matches.

Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

Hotel room rates across North America have surged at unprecedented levels ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with average prices rising 328% across 16 host cities, according to a market analysis by The Athletic, the sports publication of The New York Times.

The spike—triggered immediately after last week’s World Cup draw—signals an aggressive pricing trend that could reshape the event’s financial landscape for fans, local businesses and tourism operators.

Mexico City Leads Global Pricing Surge

The steepest rise was recorded in Mexico City, where the opening match between Mexico and South Africa on June 11 triggered extraordinary rate inflation.

At Le Méridien Mexico City Reforma, room rates leapt from $157 per night in late May to $3,882 during the match window—an explosive 2,373% increase, one of the highest ever recorded around a major sports event.

Across six sampled hotels in the city, the average per-night cost rose from $172 to $1,572, an average spike of 961%.

Three of the four largest percentage increases across the entire tournament were found in Mexico’s host cities: Mexico City, Monterrey (+466%), and Guadalajara (+405%).

U.S. Hotels: Big Profits, Big Problems

With the U.S. hosting 75% of tournament fixtures, American hotels are experiencing a windfall. Cities seeing the most aggressive hikes include:

• Houston: +457% average; Hilton Houston Plaza up 837%
• Kansas City: +364% average
• Atlanta: +344%
• San Francisco Bay Area: +342%
• New York/New Jersey: +228% average

In the New York–New Jersey market, where Brazil face Morocco on June 13, two hotels near MetLife Stadium posted jumps of 437% and 503%.

Prices around the World Cup final on July 19 have soared even further, with some hotels now charging over $3,500 per night.

Los Angeles: High Demand Before USA Opener

Supporters heading to Los Angeles for USA vs Paraguay on June 12 will face an average room price increase of 211%, with some premium hotels—such as the Avalon Beverly Hills—posting jumps above 300%.

Canada: A Tale of Two Markets

Toronto remains the most affordable host city with a modest 78% increase.
Vancouver, however, tells a different story: room rates for Australia’s June 13 match surged 344%, reaching up to $1,759 per night.

Market Dynamics Mirror—or Exceed—Olympic Inflation

While price surges around major events are common, analysts note that the scale here is exceptional. During the Paris 2024 Olympics, hotel rates increased by 141%—less than half of the average inflation tied to the 2026 World Cup.

FIFA, Hotel Chains Decline to Comment

According to The Athletic, FIFA, Marriott, and Hilton did not respond to requests for comment on the pricing strategy, raising questions about consumer protection, market regulation and the potential impact on global fan attendance.

A Booming—but Volatile—Hospitality Market

Economic observers say the price spikes reflect a sharp demand surge, limited supply in key markets, and aggressive revenue optimisation by hotel chains. But they warn the strategy could also backfire if fans begin cancelling travel plans or shifting to alternative lodging such as Airbnb, suburban hotels, or cross-border commuting.

Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

Football Supporters Europe (FSE) has called on FIFA to immediately halt sales of national team allocations for next year’s World Cup, accusing football’s governing body of imposing “extortionate” ticket prices that risk shutting ordinary fans out of the tournament.

In a statement on Thursday, the European fan umbrella group said prices for tickets allocated to Participating Member Associations (PMAs) – typically distributed via official supporters’ clubs or loyalty schemes – had reached “astronomical” levels.

FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

FSE said based on price tables quietly circulated to national associations, a supporter following their team from the first group match through to the final via the PMA route would pay at least $6,900, almost five times the equivalent cost at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

FSE said national team supporters were being asked to pay the full amount in early 2026 in order to secure the right to buy tickets all the way to the final.

Adding to fans’ frustration, FSE said the lowest price category – Category 4 – would not be made available to the most loyal supporters through their associations, with FIFA reserving those tickets for general public sales and subjecting them to dynamic pricing.

The group called that decision a “monumental betrayal” of World Cup tradition and of the contribution of traveling supporters to the tournament’s atmosphere.

“For the prices that have been put up by FIFA, we’re a bit stunned,” FSE Executive Director Ronan Evain told Reuters.

“This is a handful of people who are trying to make as much money as possible from the tournament. And we believe this approach is putting the very nature of the tournament at risk.”

“For the final, tickets are going up to about $4,000. You need fans, you need the life in the stands, you need the colour, you need the atmosphere. With these prices, none of this will happen,” he said.

For the first time at a World Cup, FSE said, there will be no consistent prices across all group-stage games, with FIFA instead introducing variable pricing based on opaque notions such as the “attractiveness” of a fixture.

That means fans of different teams could pay different amounts for the same category of ticket at the same stage, with little transparency on how prices are set.

Evain said the new structure would push many ordinary fans beyond what they can afford, particularly families.

“A lot of people that were hesitating in travelling to the U.S. are now saying they need to take an extraordinary financial risk, especially if you’re a family,” he said.

“We are in the region of $30,000 for a family of four. The vast majority of football fans can’t afford this. Even in Europe.”

FSE urged FIFA to pause PMA ticket sales and open consultations with member associations, supporters’ groups and other stakeholders “until a solution that respects the tradition, universality and cultural significance of the World Cup is found.”

-Reuters

Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H