With the 2026 FIFA World Cup 251 days away, soccer fans around the world are anxious to secure their place in global soccer’s premier event.
Next summer’s World Cup will be unique in several ways: There will be three host nations — United States, Canada, and Mexico — instead of one, 48 teams will participate in an expanded format of the tournament for the first time, and will have almost double the number of matches that previous editions had.
Most excitedly for us here at Scarves and Spikes, Atlanta will play host to eight total matches, including one of the semifinals.
Atlanta’s world-class facilities, including Mercedes-Benz Stadium and Atlanta United’s newly expanded Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground, are all set to receive the world next summer, but are the fans ready to pay the price of entry to the games?
Ticket prices to World Cup games have started to pop up on the secondary market, including those for all of the games that will be played in Atlanta. According to reseller StubHub, here are the price ranges for non-suite tickets to each of the matches that will be coming to Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
| Game | Lowest ticket price | Highest ticket price |
| Group Stage, Jun 15 | $477 | $36,546 |
| Group Stage, Jun 18 | $519 | $17,032 |
| Group Stage, Jun 21 | $542 | $42,460 |
| Group Stage, Jun 24 | $491 | $35,788 |
| Group Stage, Jun 27 | $518 | $17,032 |
| Round of 32, Jul 1 | $555 | $17,032 |
| Round of 16, Jul 7 | $772 | $285,371 |
| Semifinal, Jul 15 | $1,716 | $41,041 |
What is your reaction to seeing some of these prices? Let us know in the comments below.
The kids are going to get hurt the most. I will never forget going to the ‘94 WC with my family. Now a family of four has to shell out a half months wages just to give a young kid a once in a lifetime opportunity? I’ll pass. FIFA seems happy to trade long term love of the game for near term money. Corrupt organization.
I bought tickets early to several Club World Cup matches in 2025. FIFA’s dynamic pricing model withheld tickets in the 300-level at the Benz until they knew there was going to be demand one week before the match. Prices plummeted due to increased demand. I also learned that FIFA owns the tickets. Trying to resell them incurred major fees that made the resale net proceeds far less than the premium I paid for the tickets, selling them for nearly 50% less than what I paid. What’s aggravating is that the Chelsea-LAFC match was packed in the 200-level (where tickets were available) but almost a ghost town in the 100-level. FIFA was responsible for that.
If reports are true that Atlanta will likely host afternoon games because EST is prime time in Europe and we have an air conditioned dome (significant for heat-related concerns), good luck trying to navigate traffic to attend the game. The current prices are prime prices for non-prime time games. Watching on TV is a far cheaper option unless prices come down significantly (which is a very real possibility).
I wonder how much the prices will drop when ice pulls up around the Benz.
I’d like to be able to drop $285k to watch a soccer game. I wouldn’t, but I’d like to be able to.
Pretty sure soccer is suppose to be a game for the common folks, not for the rich folks. I hope this dynamic pricing fails miserably…hate FIFA so much
i was hoping to try for 3 matches. maybe one max now. hopefully supply/demand will drive prices down to a more reasonable range.
Looks like I’ll be watching on TV. Glad I was able to go to Germany in 2006.
Prices are way out of line. Maybe the prices will drop – if not, I’ll watch on TV