Four seats for the final of the 2026 World Cup between Argentina and Spain were announced on the official resale portal of FIFA for nearly 2.3 million dollars each, one of the highest asking prices known for a sports event.
The tickets, offered for exactly 2,299,998.85 dollars each, corresponded to Block 124, Row 45, seats 33 to 36, located behind a goal in the lower level of the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, as reported by Associated Press.
The figure only represented the price set by the reseller. There is no record of anyone having purchased the tickets for that amount.
FIFA does not set the prices requested by users in its official resale market, although it charges a 15% commission to both the buyer and the seller.
Other listings were published for $575,000 and $595,000 in preferred areas, but it has not been confirmed that they found a buyer.
The platform TickPick reported days before the match that the average resale price to attend the final was $11,117.
According to the company's records, it was the sporting event held in the United States with the highest average resale price, according to Forbes.
The figure exceeded the $9,411 recorded for Super Bowl LVIII between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs, as well as the $7,313 from Super Bowl LV.
It also stood above Games Three and Four of the NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks, whose average prices were $6,546 and $6,308, respectively.
The values changed as the match approached. This Sunday, the TickPick page displayed tickets starting at approximately $6,861, an average price exceeding $12,600, and tickets costing up to $41,896.
Prices were not moderate in the official channel either. On FIFA's resale portal, tickets behind a goal started this Sunday at over $6,400, while upper-level seats ranged around $10,000, and premium options went from approximately $16,000 to nearly $60,000, according to Associated Press.
In an earlier phase of direct sales, FIFA offered Category 1 front-row tickets for $32,970, triple the previous price of $10,990 for the best available seats, reported .
FIFA President Gianni Infantino downplayed the multimillion-dollar announcements, noting that a ticket listed for two million dollars does not necessarily cost that amount nor does it mean that anyone will actually buy it.
He also joked that he would personally bring a hot dog and a Coca-Cola to anyone who paid that price, according to reports from sports media.
Infantino defended the pricing policy, arguing that if FIFA sold the tickets too cheaply, they would end up being resold for much higher amounts.
The final features Argentina, the reigning world champion, and Spain, the European champion. Lionel Messi, at 39 years old, arrives with eight goals and four assists, but he does not lead the race for the Golden Boot: Kylian Mbappé is at the top with ten goals, according to the latest record from Fox Sports.
Additionally, Mbappé scored two goals in the third-place match against England, raising his historic tally to 22 goals in World Cups, surpassing Messi's 21, according to Associated Press.
Spain qualified for the final after defeating France 2-0 on July 14 in Dallas. Argentina secured their spot a day later by beating England 2-1 in Atlanta, with goals from Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez.
The White House confirmed that President Donald Trump will attend the match and will participate alongside Infantino in the trophy presentation.
The 2026 World Cup is the first to be jointly organized by three countries: Mexico, the United States, and Canada, and it is also the first with 48 teams.
Before the final, Infantino reported the total attendance at approximately 6.7 million spectators, a new all-time record in total volume.
FIFA projected that the tournament could reach or involve around 6 billion people worldwide through television, digital broadcasts, and other platforms.
That forecast represents the total global reach and not necessarily six billion unique viewers.
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