FIFA Triples World Cup Final Top Ticket Price to $32,970 as Resale Values Fall

FIFA tripled the price of its best available tickets for the World Cup final to $32,970 on Thursday for the July 19 match at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The governing body listed the seats as Front Category 1. The previous high for Category 1 tickets had been $10,990.

The most expensive ticket for the 2022 World Cup final was about $1,600. On FIFA's resale marketplace, final tickets were listed from $8,970 to more than $11 million on Thursday, though the organization takes only a 15 percent fee on transactions and does not set asking prices.

Secondary market get-in prices for World Cup matches have fallen sharply in recent weeks. com. Eighty-seven of the 91 matches in the United States and Canada saw declines in get-in price over that period. Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, recorded the largest 30-day drop at 29.5 percent, while NRG Stadium in Houston saw the steepest 14-day decline at 22.8 percent.

The trend comes as fans express frustration over the overall cost of attending the tournament, which spans the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19 and features 48 teams playing 104 matches.

Democratic representatives Frank Pallone and Nellie Pou sent a letter to FIFA President Gianni Infantino on Thursday seeking details on dynamic pricing, unsold tickets and fees on the resale platform by May 22. They expressed concern that the sales process had become a major point of frustration for fans and accused FIFA of restricting supply to shape demand.

NJ Transit lowered its planned round-trip train fare from Penn Station to MetLife Stadium from $150 to $105 after criticism that the price was more than 10 times the normal $13 cost. The agency had defended the original fare as necessary to manage an expected 40,000 additional riders per match.

Mikie Sherrill urged the agency to seek outside funding, including possible contributions from FIFA.