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2026 World Cup opener struggles with sales as ticket prices soar
🇧🇴 Bolivia /Economy & Trade

2026 World Cup opener struggles with sales as ticket prices soar

From El Deber · (1d ago) Spanish Critical tone

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Ticket sales for the 2026 World Cup opening match in Los Angeles are lagging, with less than 60% of seats sold.
  • The cheapest tickets exceed $2,000, deterring potential buyers.
  • High prices for tickets and associated costs like parking are impacting demand for the tournament.

The upcoming 2026 World Cup, set to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, is facing an unexpected challenge: sluggish ticket sales for its marquee opening match. Despite the prestige of the event and the participation of the U.S. national team, less than 60% of the tickets for the June 12th opener against Paraguay at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles have been sold, according to documents obtained by The New York Times. This figure is particularly concerning given the stadium's capacity of approximately 70,000 spectators.

Tickets for the opening match against Paraguay exceed $2,000, which has curbed demand.

— The New York TimesReporting on the high cost of tickets for the opening match.

The primary culprit appears to be the exorbitant pricing. The least expensive tickets available for the U.S. opener are reportedly priced above $2,000 on specialized resale platforms. This astronomical cost has significantly dampened demand, with only 40,934 tickets sold as of April 10th. For context, a match between Iran and New Zealand at the same venue on June 15th, which might be expected to generate less local interest, has already sold 50,661 tickets at a lower starting price point of over $400.

Only 40,934 tickets had been sold as of April 10, according to the document distributed to local organizers cited by the New York newspaper.

— The New York TimesDetailing the low sales figures for the U.S. opener.

This situation raises questions about FIFA's ticketing strategy and its understanding of the U.S. market for international soccer. While the World Cup is a global spectacle, the high cost of attendance, coupled with other expenses such as parking (which can exceed $200 at some venues) and transportation (round-trip tickets from New York to New Jersey for matches at MetLife Stadium are $150), creates a significant financial barrier for many potential fans.

The stadium has a capacity of around 70,000 spectators, meaning the debut of the USA as one of the hosts had barely filled 58% of the capacity as of April 10.

— The New York TimesHighlighting the low attendance percentage for the U.S. match.

From a local perspective in Bolivia, where El Deber is based, the high prices are astonishing and likely prohibitive. While soccer is immensely popular, the economic realities for many South American fans differ greatly from those in the U.S. This disparity highlights a potential disconnect between the organizers' pricing model and the accessibility of the tournament for a broader fan base. The success of the World Cup hinges not only on the quality of the games but also on the ability of fans to attend, and currently, the high cost is proving to be a major obstacle.

The lowest prices to attend the match between Iran and New Zealand exceed $400.

— The New York TimesProviding a price comparison for another match at the same venue.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El Deber in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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