Ticket Resale Prices Surge Following FIFA World Cup Draw

The resale market for tickets to the upcoming FIFA World Cup has seen significant price increases following the recent draw that determined match pairings. Scheduled to take place in Toronto and Vancouver, the tournament is set between June 11 and July 19, 2026. As of now, over two million tickets have been sold for the tournament’s 104 matches across Canada, the United States, and Mexico.

In Canada, tickets for the six matches in Toronto and seven in Vancouver sold out rapidly, leading to escalating prices on the resale market. FIFA operates its own resale and exchange platform, currently offline until December 15, but unauthorized resale sites are seeing ticket prices soar into the thousands for the highly sought-after games hosted on Canadian soil.

Since the draw revealed the Canadian men’s national soccer team (CanMNT) will compete in three matches, including one in Toronto and two in Vancouver, demand for tickets has surged. Vijay Setlur, a marketing instructor at York University’s Schulich School of Business, noted that the draw marked a pivotal moment for ticket pricing. “The draw was a turning point, because a lot of the prices were based on speculation,” Setlur explained. He emphasized that prices on the resale market were influenced by Toronto’s limited stadium capacity and high demand.

After the draw, ticket prices have stabilized, reflecting the confirmed match pairings. Setlur observed that while the market adjusted, certain matchups could still see fluctuations. “I wasn’t sure if there would be a decline in some ticket prices, but it seems like that may have been the case, especially for the countries that are not as glamorous,” he said. He indicated that the match schedule for Toronto is less appealing by design, given its smaller stadium capacity compared to larger venues.

The ticket resale dynamics are particularly noteworthy. For instance, tickets for the CanMNT’s first match in Toronto on June 12 were initially listed at C$1,257 each on StubHub. As of now, the lowest resale price has jumped to C$2,735, while the highest ticket is priced at an astonishing C$111,751. In contrast, the resale prices for Vancouver’s games against Qatar and Switzerland are notably lower, starting at C$992 and C$828, respectively.

Setlur pointed out that the disparity in resale prices between Toronto and Vancouver stems from the significance of the Toronto match. “The game in Toronto is the first ever Canada game on home soil,” he noted, contrasting this with Vancouver’s less high-profile opponents. “Qatar and Switzerland are as vanilla as you can get… and they don’t have a large diaspora here,” Setlur added.

The uncertainty surrounding the opponent for the Toronto match further complicates ticket values. Speculation suggests that fans are hoping for Italy to be the opponent, which could dramatically affect resale prices. “If you have extra tickets for that first game, and if Italy makes it, then you’re sitting pretty,” Setlur remarked, predicting that prices could soar into the five figures if this scenario materializes.

The draw has resulted in what Setlur describes as a “market correction.” This shift allows resellers to base their prices on concrete information rather than speculation. He anticipates that less popular matchups may see further price drops once FIFA releases additional tickets.

As for ticket availability, Peter Montopoli, Canada’s chief tournament officer, reported that all tickets from the Visa pre-sale and early draws have been sold. The remaining availability will depend on allocations to participating member associations, including Canada Soccer. Montopoli confirmed that fans from 212 countries have purchased tickets thus far, with the highest sales coming from the United States, followed by Canada and Mexico.

As excitement builds for the FIFA World Cup, fans and ticket resellers alike are closely monitoring the market, waiting for further developments that could influence ticket prices and availability.