FIFA Affirms Controversial Ticketing System Inspired by Oasis Band's Famous Album, Along with Its Pricing Structure, for the 2026 World Cup Tournament
The upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup, set to be hosted across the United States, Mexico, and Canada, will employ dynamic pricing for ticket sales, as confirmed by FIFA. This practice, which has gained mainstream attention due to its use in high-profile events like the World Cup and the Club World Cup, fluctuates ticket prices based on demand.
The tournament will feature 48 teams playing 104 matches in 16 host cities. Tickets for the event will be sold in four different stages, with the first phase seeing prices that adjust according to demand. The starting prices for World Cup tickets are expected to increase as the sales progress.
Individual ticket buyers can purchase a maximum of four tickets per match and ten matches across the World Cup. To prevent scalping, FIFA will operate a resale marketplace. However, no pricing in between the cheapest and most expensive tickets has been confirmed.
The draw for the expanded tournament will be held in December in Washington, D.C., specifically at the Kennedy Center, where the ceremony for the final draw of the FIFA World Cup 2026 will also take place. The finals themselves, however, will not be held at the Kennedy Center but across the three host countries.
The cheapest World Cup ticket will start at £44, and the most expensive final ticket will start at £5,760. It's worth noting that dynamic pricing automatically adjusts the cost of tickets in line with demand, usually resulting in an increase in price.
The use of dynamic pricing for the World Cup has been a subject of debate among regular event-goers. The Guardian reported that dynamic pricing for the Club World Cup and Oasis's UK comeback tour have been unpopular with some, citing inconsistencies and potential for overpricing.
Despite this, FIFA has not run a baseline study to determine how much revenue could be generated from World Cup ticket sales without dynamic pricing. The tournament is set to take place in June and July next year.
In contrast to the original expectations, the draw for the World Cup was moved from Las Vegas to the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. The 2026 World Cup will mark the first time the tournament is held in multiple countries, following the successful hosting of the Club World Cup in multiple countries in recent years.
