The 2026 World Cup final will be historic. It already is regarding how much a ticket costs to see it.
Spain vs. Argentina on Sunday, July 19, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, is a match of epic proportions, with the two soccer heavyweights meeting for the chance to become champions. With Lionel Messi back for what is likely his last World Cup and Spain on the verge of its second title, the demand to see the blockbuster game has reached unprecedented levels.
This is shaping up to be the most expensive sporting event in U.S. history, according to TickPick.
"This becomes sort of like the pinnacle of that sort of world event, that Mount Rushmore moment," TickPick vice president and head of growth Matt Ferrel told USA Today Sports.
Argentina's Enzo Fernandez celebrates scoring their first goal with Lionel Messi.
How much does Spain vs Argentina World Cup final ticket cost?
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With an average purchase price of $11,327, the 2026 World Cup final marks the most expensive tickets on record based on average purchase price, TickPick says.
It's not much better to just get in the stadium, either. The cheapest price for a ticket on TickPick was $7,402 as of Thursday.
Here were the cheapest ticket prices available for the World Cup final on several secondary markets, as of 6 p.m. ET on Thursday:
TickPick: $7,782
StubHub: $8,018
SeatGeek: $7,719
Gametime: $7,362
Most expensive sporting events in US history
Based on average purchase price, according to TickPick.
2026 World Cup Final (Spain vs. Argentina): $11,327
2024 Super Bowl 58 (Kansas City Chiefs vs. San Francisco 49ers): $9,411
2021 Super Bowl 55 (Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Kansas City Chiefs): $7,313
2020 Super Bowl 54 (Kansas City Chiefs vs. San Francisco 49ers): $6,546
2026 NBA Finals Game 3 (New York Knicks vs. San Antonio Spurs): $6,308
A young Morocco fan sitting on an adult’s shoulders holds a banner requesting tickets as they gather on Boston Common ahead of their game against France, July 8.
Why are World Cup final ticket prices so expensive?
There's been much made about ticket cost during the World Cup, and it has reached the highest point for the final. Ferrel said it was inevitably going to be the most expensive match to see.
"A World Cup final is going to drive this level of interest, regardless of who's participating in it," he said. "This is the largest event really in the world, and so, like, regardless of who is participating, I would have expected to see numbers around this."
The storylines sure help. Argentina is going for back-to-back titles in what's expected to be Messi's last tournament. Spain has been dominant on its path toward the final. Ferrel added the get-in price was in the $6,000 range before the semifinals, just for it to rise as Spain and Argentina locked in their spots.
As prior matches have shown, Argentina and Spain fans have taken over stadiums to watch their teams' journey to the final, and it is expected to be the same inside MetLife Stadium. Another belief of what's driving the cost is how much Americans have caught soccer fever, fully buying into the sport after witnessing the top tournament be played in the United States.
With just three days between the last semifinal and the final match, Ferrel said "there's a pretty low likelihood" the ticket prices drop any lower than what they currently are.
People may have gotten their tickets beforehand just wanting to go to the game regardless of who'd be in it. Now, with the match set, if there is a desire to shell out the big bucks to witness the spectacle reach a conclusion in-person, it's hard to say no to the opportunity if it's possible.
"There's no shortage of rationales for why you would buy a World Cup final ticket," Ferrel said. "You can't really craft a reason why you wouldn't want to go to the game."
What may be a surprise is the match could have been more expensive; Ferrel believes prices could have been higher had England gotten to its first final since 1966, or if the U.S. stayed alive to play its first final on home soil.
