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Ticket prices for Wednesday’s FIFA World Cup semi-final between Argentina and England have soared to unprecedented levels, with even the cheapest seats now costing more than US$2,600, reflecting the enormous global demand for one of football’s most iconic rivalries.
The blockbuster clash is far more than a place in the World Cup final. It brings together two of football’s fiercest rivals in a fixture steeped in history and emotion, while also carrying the possibility of becoming Lionel Messi’s final World Cup appearance if Argentina fail to reach the final.
The extraordinary anticipation has sent ticket prices skyrocketing on FIFA’s official resale platform, where prices fluctuate by the minute based on demand.
The lowest-priced Category 3 tickets are currently selling for more than US$2,600, equivalent to over Tk 300,000. At the other end of the market, the most expensive tickets have been listed for as much as US$150,000.
The surge marks a dramatic contrast to Argentina’s quarter-final against Switzerland in Kansas City, which featured the lowest ticket prices of the tournament. The cheapest seats for that match were available for around US$800.
By comparison, tickets for the other semi-final between France and Spain in Dallas are considerably less expensive.
According to FIFA’s resale platform, the cheapest ticket for that match is priced at around US$1,300. Prices are even lower on secondary marketplaces such as StubHub, where fans trade tickets directly without paying FIFA’s additional resale commission.
Ticket reselling has long been associated with World Cup tournaments, but this is the first edition in which FIFA has formally embraced a regulated resale marketplace.
Taking advantage of the legal framework in the United States, football’s governing body has adopted a model similar to those used by major American sports leagues such as the NBA, allowing supporters to legally resell tickets through its official platform.
The system has also become a significant revenue source for FIFA. Before the tournament began, industry estimates suggested that official ticket resale alone could generate around US$3 billion in revenue, more than three times the amount recorded during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
With Argentina and England preparing for another historic World Cup showdown, demand shows little sign of easing, making a seat inside the stadium one of the hottest and most expensive tickets in world sport.