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Attending a World Cup match in North America this summer won’t be cheap, costing fans anywhere from a few hundred dollars to well over $1,000 even before factoring in flights, hotels and transportation. FIFA, the sport’s global governing body, is also using dynamic pricing for the first time, adding another layer to how tickets are sold and priced.

To break down what’s driving those costs, 91��ý Today spoke with��Övünç Yılmaz, assistant professor of operations and a pricing expert at the��Leeds School of Business, who studies how markets like travel, sports and events set prices.

How does World Cup ticket pricing work?

Event tickets are initially sold in a primary market, where organizers control prices, much like airlines and hotels. The key similarity is that all three sell fixed, perishable capacity with differentiated products: seats and games for tickets, routes and fare classes for airlines, and room types and dates for hotels.

But event tickets are different because they can often be resold in a secondary market, which adds complexity.

Övünç Yılmaz

The World Cup adds another layer because of its scale: 104 games over 39 days, across 16 cities, with around 7 million total tickets. This is very different from a typical sporting event in a single venue.

What makes World Cup ticketing more complicated than a typical sporting event?

Even without resale, FIFA’s primary market is complex. Tickets are released through multiple phases: presales before fans know matchups, later sales after the draw, additional releases as teams qualify, and last-minute availability. FIFA also sells single-game tickets, team-based packages, venue packages and conditional knockout tickets.

Some tickets are never sold on the open market—about 16% are set aside for the teams involved to distribute themselves.

Then there is the resale market. FIFA created two official resale channels with different rules: In the U.S. and Canada, tickets can be resold at any price, while in Mexico, resale is capped at face value due to regulations. Beyond FIFA’s platforms, companies like Ticketmaster and StubHub are also active.

Now, the big question: Why are World Cup tickets so expensive?

Ticket prices are high for a few key reasons.��

FIFA and many event organizers have traditionally underpriced tickets in the primary market in the name of global reach and fairness. That creates excess demand and leaves value on the table, which often gets captured in the resale market.

FIFA already varies prices across games, and this World Cup marks the first time it has introduced dynamic pricing, allowing prices to adjust with demand in real time.

But the resale market is still where much of the real price discovery happens, especially for high-demand games involving teams like the U.S., England or Argentina.

In our research on��, we find that when primary market prices increase, resale prices can rise even more than expected. So the very high prices we are seeing may reflect the enormous demand for this event in North America, but potentially also an unintended consequence of FIFA’s more aggressive pricing strategy.

Are these prices ‘fair’? Why do they feel frustrating to fans?

“Fair” means different things depending on where you sit. A $10,000 Final ticket can be fair if someone is willing to pay it—that is how markets work. But it can still feel deeply unfair to fans who see the World Cup as a global cultural event.

FIFA does try to build fairness into the system.��There were $60 entry-level tickets for group-stage games, $75 tickets for host-nation matches, and more accessible options throughout the knockout rounds.��Many tickets were also distributed through random draws rather than purely first-come, first-served sales, which gives everyone a chance.

But if you are not successful in that process, you are then facing the resale market. That is not necessarily unfair in a market sense; it is what happens when demand far exceeds supply.

What is especially interesting is FIFA’s decision to cap resale prices at face value for Mexico residents while allowing market-based pricing in the U.S. and Canada.��Same tournament, same tickets, but completely different resale rules. I am curious to see how that plays out in practice.��

What happens to prices as games get closer?

For group-stage games (the opening round, when teams are divided into groups), resale prices have declined about 10% to 20% compared to earlier this spring, though they remain well above face value.��

The most fascinating dynamic will be in the knockout rounds, where nobody yet knows who is playing. Prices could rise sharply if a high-demand matchup emerges or drop if it does not.

We will likely see this happen in real time—even before games finish—as outcomes become clearer.

Beyond tickets, what does the full cost look like for fans?

Tickets are just the beginning. This World Cup is a completely different logistical challenge compared to past tournaments, with matches spread across multiple cities and countries.

Take England as an example. A fan following England through a potential run to the final could be looking at Arlington, then New Jersey twice, then Atlanta, then Mexico City, then Miami, then back to Atlanta, then New York. That is seven cities across two countries in roughly five weeks. And that is only if England finishes first in their group. Finish second, and the entire knockout map shifts. Arranging flights and hotels with only four to five days between games, without knowing your next destination until the final whistle, is an enormous challenge.��

For many fans, flights, hotels and last-minute bookings will end up costing more than the tickets themselves.

What’s your advice for fans still hoping to attend?

Before anything else, factor in the full picture: Check flights and hotels before even thinking about tickets.

For group-stage games, monitor prices and set a threshold you are comfortable with. Prices have been coming down and may continue to do so, so patience can pay off. If you simply want to attend a game in your own city, waiting may create opportunities closer to kickoff.

For knockout games, the math is more complicated. If there is a potential matchup you are excited about, buying early can be part of the gamble. Prices could spike significantly once teams are confirmed, so current prices may look reasonable in hindsight.

And even if you do not get the exact matchup you hoped for, it is still the World Cup and will likely be a memorable experience.