According to Indian Express, Portugal's 0-1 defeat to Spain led to a sharp drop in World Cup ticket prices. Ronaldo, one of football's biggest superstars, leaving the tournament early significantly reduced its appeal. Matches that were expected to command much higher ticket prices had Portugal reached the quarter-finals now show a noticeable decrease in demand.
Co-host USA also exited the tournament after a 1-4 loss to Belgium. Had both Portugal and the USA advanced, a quarter-final clash between them would have generated immense fan interest. This would have driven up demand for live attendance and, consequently, ticket prices.
According to a report by ticket search engine SeatPick, the lowest ticket prices for World Cup 2026 quarter-final matches have fallen by an average of 31,5% in just the past one to two days, and more than 50% compared to three days prior. Meanwhile, the number of tickets listed on the secondary market (resold by spectators) surged to 49.415, nearly 1,75 times the volume at the start of the World Cup.
Semi-final ticket prices are also declining. However, prices for these matches could still rebound depending on the remaining matchups. For example, if France were to face Spain at AT&T Stadium (Dallas) in a semi-final on 14/7, or England were to meet Argentina in Atlanta on 15/7, demand in the resale market would undoubtedly surge.
Furthermore, data from the ticketing platform GameTime indicates that prices for both World Cup 2026 semi-final and final matches have significantly decreased from their peak recorded on 24/6. Specifically, for semi-final one, the lowest ticket price was 2.320 USD, with the highest at 19.365 USD. The cheapest tickets have dropped more than 42% from their peak.
Similarly, for semi-final two, the lowest ticket price is now 2.708 USD, more than 50% lower than on 24/6. For the final match (to be held in New Jersey on 19/7), the lowest ticket price is currently 9.015 USD, while the most expensive tickets reach 67.610 USD. Compared to its peak of 11.132 USD, the lowest ticket price has decreased by about 20%.
By Tu Anh (Source: Indian Express)
