World Cup Quarter-Final Ticket Prices Collapse After US, Portugal Exit

Ticket prices for FIFA World have dropped sharply following the elimination of hosts the United States and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal from the tournament, Forbes reports.

According to the report, the cheapest resale tickets for the match fell by almost 60 per cent, dropping from $2,950 to about $1,200 on the secondary marketplace TickPick after Monday’s Round of 16 fixtures.

The sharp decline followed the United States’ 4-1 defeat to Belgium in Seattle, which ended hopes of a home-team appearance in the quarter-finals.

Portugal also exited the tournament after a 1-0 defeat to Spain in Arlington, Texas, ending Ronaldo’s World Cup career and removing one of the tournament’s biggest attractions from the Los Angeles fixture.

Forbes noted that the absence of both the host nation and Ronaldo significantly reduced demand for the match, which would likely have commanded far higher prices had either side progressed.

“Spain defeated Portugal 1-0 on Monday, ending Cristiano Ronaldo’s World Cup career and removing a significant amount of star power appeal from the quarterfinal match in Los Angeles, which would have likely had far higher ticket prices if the U.S. and Portugal faced off instead,” the report read.

The report added that average resale prices for all World Cup quarter-final matches have fallen by 31.5 per cent over the past day and 50.4 per cent over the last three days, citing ticket marketplace SeatPick.

SeatPick also reported that the number of tickets available on secondary markets had risen to 49,415, up from 28,285 at the start of the tournament.

Despite the decline in quarter-final prices, demand for the final remains high.

Forbes reported that the cheapest resale ticket for the World Cup final in New Jersey on July 19 stood at $9,346, although the price is expected to fluctuate depending on the finalists.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup has been widely regarded as the most expensive in the competition’s history, with ticket prices reaching several times those recorded at previous editions, the report added.