AIPS – Initial matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup drew huge crowds, from more than 80,000 spectators at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City to sell-outs for several host-nation fixtures. Yet television images from several matches have shown significant numbers of empty seats, especially in VIP and corporate areas where many tickets had already been purchased by sponsors and companies.

The contrast has fuelled questions about pricing and accessibility at the tournament. Recent reports have highlighted concerns over unsold tickets and visibly sparse areas in some stadiums despite FIFA’s strong attendance figures.

The comparison with Qatar 2022 is striking. A Category 1 ticket for the opening match has risen from $618 to $2,735. The cheapest ticket for the final has increased from $206 to $2,030, while the most expensive final ticket has jumped from $1,607 to $6,370. Across almost every category, prices have multiplied several times over. Fan organisations have repeatedly warned that the cost of attending matches in North America is dramatically higher than it was four years ago.

A comparison between FIFA World Cup ticket prices in Qatar 2022 and North America 2026 highlights the dramatic increase in costs across every category, from group-stage matches to the final. (Photo: @go.qatar.2022 on IG)

The figures raise an obvious question. Many of the supporters who traditionally follow their national teams in the United States, Canada and Mexico come from immigrant communities whose passion for football is unquestionable, but whose budgets may not stretch to hundreds or even thousands of dollars for a single match ticket.

If some stadiums continue to show empty seats beyond the headline fixtures, ticket prices may prove to be one of the explanations. The World Cup has always belonged to the fans; the challenge is ensuring they can still afford to be there. 

Germany 2006 remains a benchmark for fan engagement. Through extensive fan zones and city-wide activities that attracted more than 18 million visitors, the tournament succeeded in bringing supporters closer to the event rather than pushing them away from it.

FIFA has rejected suggestions that official attendance figures do not reflect actual crowds inside stadiums. In a statement posted on X, the governing body said that “official attendance figures reflect the number of tickets scanned and spectators present within the stadium footprint, rather than visual assessments of seating occupancy at any given moment during the match.”

FIFA added that “during last night’s match in Guadalajara, several ticketed fans could be seen standing in concourses rather than staying in their assigned seats throughout the match.”

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