With the January sales phase barely over, tickets for the 2026 World Cup are already skyrocketing to stratospheric prices on FIFA's official resale platform. While the governing body defends itself by citing North American market forces, anger is simmering among fans.

Prices that make your head spin

On the dedicated website, prices no longer follow any basic logic, except that of speculation. Here are some examples of the inflation observed this Wednesday:

Match	Category	Initial Price	Resale Price	Increase
Mexico - South Africa (Inaugural Match)	Cat. 3	$895	$5,324	~x6
France - Senegal	Cat. 3	$219	$1,000	~x5
Brazil - Morocco	Cat. 3	Approximately $240.	$1,725	~x7
The Final	Cat. 1	$7,875	~$20,000	~x2.5

Conversely, rare "bargains" remain for less prestigious posters, such as an Austria-Jordan resale slightly below its purchase price ($552 instead of $620).

FIFA, merely a "facilitator"?

Faced with these prices deemed "indecent" by supporters' associations, FIFA disclaims all responsibility. The governing body clarifies that it is merely a technical intermediary , taking a 15% commission in the process.

1. Total freedom: The resellers set the prices.
2. Local context: FIFA justifies this model by the practices in force in the United States and Canada, where the resale market is completely free.
3. Mexican annoyance: While Mexico normally prohibits resale at a profit, this rule does not seem to apply on FIFA's international platform.

"Those who are passionate pay the price."

For Guillaume Auprêtre, spokesperson for the Irrésistibles Français (French Irresistibles) , this system encourages speculative buying at the expense of genuine fans. Despite the existence of a quota of $60 tickets for supporters' clubs, the volume remains negligible compared to a demand that Gianni Infantino describes as "crazy" (500 million applications for the last lottery draw).

What are the next steps?

The distribution of tickets for the January sales phase has just begun, which should further flood (and potentially panic) the secondary market.

1. April 2026: Opening of the "last minute" phase (first come, first served).
2. "Variable" pricing: FIFA will continue to adjust its own prices based on demand, while denying that it practices automated "dynamic pricing".