The FIFA World Cup 2026 has received an economic jolt as the ticket prices for the quarterfinals see a huge price drop, as huge as 60% in some cases. The tournament is already weathering a political storm following the overturning of the red card decision of Folarin Balogun and the controversial 'refereeing standards' in several games, the latest being the Argentina vs Egypt game.
Besides these storylines, the ticket price has been hit after the farewell of Cristiano Ronaldo following Portugal's 1-0 defeat to reigning European champions Spain. The loss drew curtains to a glorious career of Ronaldo after playing and dominating the game across top leagues and clubs across the globe.
With one of football's biggest superstars no longer in the competition,
matches that would likely have commanded far higher prices had Portugal reached the quarter-finals are now seeing a noticeable decline in demand. Co-hosts USA also crashed out of the tournament, following a 4-1 loss to Belgium. This has further depleted the fan base in an already struggling football region.
FIFA World Cup 2026: Which Matches Have Been Hit The Most?
According to a report by a ticket search engine, the match between Spain and Belgium has seen the largest drop, with prices down as much as 62%. One main reason for the massive drop in the prices was the elimination of Portugal and the USA in the round of 16, post which both Spain and Belgium progressed to the quarters.
World Cup ticket market is CRASHING! 📉
- Mykhel Football (@Mykhel_football) July 9, 2026
With the USA, Mexico, Canada, Brazil, and Portugal all knocked out in the Round of 16, #FIFAWorldCup quarterfinal ticket prices are absolutely plummeting.
If you want to buy World Cup tickets, now is the time. Look at these insane… pic.twitter.com/HupjC4bTbw
Meanwhile, the prices for Norway vs England and Argentina vs Switzerland have also plummeted significantly. While in Norway, the elimination of Brazil broke a million hearts, defending champions Argentina have only themselves to blame for their downfall. From the world rooting for Messi, to the world becoming anti-Argentina for the game against Egypt, there has been a paradigm shift.
Similarly, the semifinals and the ticket prices for the final have also dropped drastically. Here are the ticket prices as predicted by GameTime:
- Semifinal 1 (Winner Match 97 vs Winner Match 98) - Dallas, July 14: Get-in: $2,320 | Median: $5,193 | Maximum: $19,365 | ▼ 42% from the June 24 peak ($4,931)
- Semifinal 2 (Winner Match 99 vs Winner Match 100) - Atlanta, July 15: Get-in: $2,708 | Median: $6,152 | Maximum: $31,850 | ▼ 52% from the June 24 peak ($5,645)
- World Cup Final - New Jersey, July 19: Get-in: $9,015 | Median: $16,904 | Maximum: $67,610 | ▼ 20% from the June 24 peak ($11,132).
