Thousands of tickets for the 2026 FIFA World Cup have been suddenly pulled from sale just days before the tournament’s commencement. This comes amid visible signs of weakened demand from soccer fans.
Based on estimates from Ticketdata.com, around 74,000 tickets were available directly from the organization until Saturday. The number then sharply reduced to 44,000 and further to under 30,000, where it currently remains. FIFA has not offered any explanation for this decline. Ticketdata.com attributes the reduction to an unspecified “sudden inventory removal.”
Online speculation suggests that tickets might have been distributed to sponsors or other parties. Another theory is that the removal aims to create artificial scarcity to increase demand. Newsweek reached out to FIFA on Monday through their online portal headquartered in Switzerland.
Resale prices, which had been declining for weeks, are beginning to show signs of recovery. Local businesses in host cities have warned that interest appears to be lower for this year’s competition. Analysts and critics point to FIFA’s pricing model for the 2026 tournament as a potential factor, noting that prices have risen significantly compared to previous competitions. This has led to criticism from fans and some politicians in the host states.
This story is still developing. Additional updates will follow.
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