Did you miss out on the draw for World Cup tickets? You did, didn’t you? [shakes head] I told you — twice — that your best chance at “reasonably” priced seats would be through FIFA’s admittedly haphazard selection process. But all that ended back on January 13. You can still purchase tickets directly through the site. Let’s see how that’s going.
You have two options via official channels: resale and hospitality packages. For grins, I selected two resale tickets in Category 4 at NRG Stadium, AKA the lower mesosphere:
FIFA says the tickets with “the lowest available price” will be added to your cart. Hold that thought:
Had you lucked out in the initial draw, it’d only have cost you $70 and fees to watch Germany curb stomp Curaรงao from the ceiling seats. Those tickets are now reselling for over 10 times that, not including a “resale facilitation fee,” no doubt implemented so that FIFA President Gianni Infantino can buy ivory back scratchers for the entire Trump administration.
The hospitality packages advertised on the official website offer perks like sideline seating, “chef-curated dining stations, and sommelier-guided beverage service.” Those tickets start at $2,700 a pop for the group stage matches at NRG. My sommelier better be Morena Baccarin at those prices.
“Fine,” you’re saying. “We know that FIFA is so corrupt it makes Teapot Dome look like Chris Chambers stealing the milk money in Stand By Me. What about resellers?” Boy, am I glad you asked.
In all honesty, it was an email that prompted me to revisit the ticket question. “Missed the draw?” the email asked, “SeatGeek has you covered.” That’s a relief. Let’s check out the options for Houston’s matches:
That’s … honestly not too shabby. The most expensive cheap seats are for both the Ronaldo games, predictably. And seats on the 100 level for those will still run you around $1,500, but that’s well worth it for the chance CR7 winks at you.
Obviously the best deal is Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia. Will it be a good game? Highly unlikely, but that’s the cheapest you’ll be able to pay and still say you went to the World Cup.
Finally, because it amuses me to do so, I’m going to once again show what resellers are asking for the Final (July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey). Bear in mind we’re still months away from a single goal being scored, much less knowing who’s going to play in this match:
Fun fact: if you mouse over any of those sections — even the upper corners — the view is “amazing.”
Still, it beats StubHub:
So what’s it gonna be, folks? A chance to see soccer history? Or healthcare for your family?
This article appears in Private: Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2026.