Read for 2 minutes8 Jul 2026 12:31 PM IST
After knocking out the hosts USA and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal from the FIFA World Cup 2026, the rest of the knockout round ticket market has seen a significant change this week.
Ronaldo’s World Cup dream ended as Portugal lost 1-0 to reigning European champions Spain. The result was effectively a sharp drop in ticket prices. With football’s biggest superstar no longer in the competition, prices for matches like Portugal reaching the quarter-finals are likely to be much higher now that demand has dropped significantly.
Also read | FIFA World Cup 2026 Quarter Finals Schedule: Qualifying Teams, Match Dates
Co-hosts the United States were also eliminated before the quarterfinals, losing 4-1 to Belgium in Seattle on Monday. Had Portugal beaten Spain and the USA beaten Belgium, a potential quarter-final between the two would have seen a significant increase in fans, demand for tickets and even higher prices.
According to a report by ticket search engine SeatPick, the average get-in price for this year’s quarterfinals has dropped 31.5 percent in the last one to two days and 50.4 percent in the last three days. The number of tickets available on the secondary market also rose to 49,415, a sharp increase from 28,285 when the World Cup first started.
Also read | Here’s how France is reacting to an all-Argentine referee lineup for the World Cup quarter-finals
Ticket prices for the semi-finals have also come down, although they may rise again depending on the remaining matches. For example, a blockbuster semifinal between France and Spain at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas on July 14, or an England-Argentina clash in Atlanta on July 15, will certainly boost demand in the resale market.
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Current FIFA World Cup 2026 ticket price scenario (as per gametime):
Semi Final 1 (Winner Match 97 vs Winner Match 98) – Dallas, July 14
Admission: $2,320 | Median: $5,193 | Maximum: $19,365 | ▼ 42% From June 24 peak ($4,931)
Semi Final 2 (Winner Match 99 vs Winner Match 100) — Atlanta, July 15
Admission: $2,708 | Median: $6,152 | Maximum: $31,850 | ▼ 52% From June 24 peak ($5,645)
World Cup Final — New Jersey, July 19
Admission: $9,015 | Median: $16,904 | Maximum: $67,610 | ▼ 20% From the June 24 peak ($11,132).