Tickets for Colombia's match against Portugal in the 2026 World Cup have risen up to 13 times their original price on the resale market, from about US$150 to over US$2,000. This surge stems from high demand exceeding FIFA's initial supply, with over five million requests in the first 24 hours. The increase is not unique to this game but is prominent on secondary platforms.
With fewer than 100 days until the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, Colombian fans are grappling with soaring ticket prices. The match against Portugal in Miami, one of the most sought-after according to FIFA, exemplifies the issue: resale tickets have climbed up to 13 times their original value, with some figures indicating as much as 65 times.
FIFA initially offered tickets at accessible prices starting around US$150. Yet, overwhelming demand resulted in nearly two million tickets sold in the first two sales phases, prompting resellers on secondary markets to set much higher prices. For category 1 seats near the pitch, prices range from US$3,011 to US$78,563; category 2 from US$2,841 to US$3,587; and categories 3 and 4 from US$2,059 to US$6,433, varying by demand.
Sports analyst Juan Felipe Cadavid remarked: “I do believe it has to do with us being on the verge of playing a World Cup in the country of marketing, capitalism, supply and demand, the country of the economy.”
The trend extends to Colombia's other matches. Against Uzbekistan at Mexico City's Estadio Azteca, category 1 tickets go from US$602 to nearly US$9,000, averaging US$1,014 for categories 2 and 3, and ranging US$921 to US$2,740 for category 4. For the game versus the playoff qualifier (from Democratic Republic of Congo, New Caledonia, or Jamaica) at Guadalajara's Estadio de Chivas, category 1 spans US$1,157 to US$3,782, category 2 from US$922 to US$2,275, and categories 3 and 4 average US$1,056.
FIFA has not immediately responded to requests for comment on these resale practices.
