Watching Spain face Argentina in Sunday’s World Cup final will come at an extraordinary cost for supporters still searching for a ticket.

FIFA recently released almost 1,200 additional Category 2 seats for $7,380 each. These are standard match tickets without hospitality, catering or pitchside access.

Seats in more desirable areas of New York New Jersey Stadium, commercially known as MetLife Stadium, are considerably more expensive. Newly released lower-deck tickets range from $19,995 to $32,970, according to an Associated Press report.

Standard seats carry luxury prices

The 82,500-capacity stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, will host the final on Sunday, July 19.

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Among FIFA’s latest release were 1,178 Category 2 tickets at $7,380. A further 68 Category 1 seats in the lower deck were made available at prices approaching $33,000.

Official hospitality is also available. Packages currently begin at $17,000 per person through FIFA’s authorised hospitality provider, while places in the Trophy Lounge have been offered for as much as $34,500.

Ticket prices have changed repeatedly during the tournament because FIFA is using dynamic pricing, which allows costs to rise or fall in response to demand.

In April, the highest standard price for the final increased to $10,990, up from $8,680 during an earlier sales phase. Category 2 tickets rose from $5,575 to $7,380, as described by The Guardian.

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The latest release has pushed some official prices even higher.

Resale listings reach eight figures

Prices on FIFA’s authorised resale marketplace are even more extreme.

Listings shortly before the final ranged from approximately $7,440 to almost $11.5 million, according to Marca.

The highest figures are asking prices set by sellers. They do not show that tickets have actually been purchased for those amounts.

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Earlier in the tournament, four lower-deck seats behind one of the goals were listed for almost $2.3 million each. Buying all four would have cost more than $9 million before additional charges.

FIFA does not impose a cap on resale prices in the United States. Sellers can choose their own asking price, while the governing body collects a 15 per cent fee from both the seller and the buyer.

That arrangement means a ticket listed at an already extraordinary price becomes even more expensive for the supporter completing the purchase.

Fans priced out of football’s biggest match

The prices have intensified criticism of FIFA’s ticketing strategy throughout the tournament.

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Even the cheapest seats from the latest release cost more than many supporters would spend on an entire holiday. The figures are particularly striking when compared with the 2022 final in Qatar, where the most expensive standard ticket cost $1,600.

Spain and Argentina will meet in one of international football’s most eagerly anticipated matches, but for most supporters, attending the final is now financially impossible.

Millions will watch the world champions crowned on television. Inside the stadium, the right to witness it in person has become one of the most expensive tickets in sporting history.

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