World Cup ticket prices crash 50% after US, Portugal exits
Resale prices for World Cup quarter-final tickets have plunged over 50% after the United States and Portugal were eliminated from the tournament.
The global football market is experiencing one of its most dramatic price corrections in World Cup history. Resale prices for quarter-final tickets have crashed by more than 50 percent, driven by the shock elimination of two of the tournament’s biggest draws: the United States and Portugal.
The most significant drop has been for the Spain-Belgium quarter-final at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. According to secondary market data from TickPick, the cheapest resale tickets have fallen from approximately $2,950 to about $1,200. SeatPick reported that average resale prices for all four quarter-finals have declined by more than 50 percent over the past three days.
The largest factor behind the price crash was the United States’ exit from the tournament. Belgium defeated the US 4-1 in the Round of 16, extinguishing hopes that the host nation would advance to the quarter-final in Los Angeles. Host nation matches typically generate massive local demand and drive up resale prices. With the US out, demand evaporated, and sellers were forced to slash prices.
The elimination of Portugal also significantly weakened the secondary market. Cristiano Ronaldo remains one of football’s most globally marketable stars, and many fans had hoped to see the Portuguese legend in what could be his final World Cup appearance. Spain’s 1-0 victory ended that prospect and diminished the appeal of the Los Angeles quarter-final for neutral fans.
Ticket supply has also surged. SeatPick data shows nearly 49,500 tickets currently available on the resale market, compared with about 28,300 at the start of the tournament on June 11. The increased inventory has intensified competition among sellers, forcing many to lower their prices to attract buyers.
Among the four quarter-finals, the France-Morocco match at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, currently has the lowest resale prices. Despite Morocco’s historic campaign to become the first African nation to win the FIFA World Cup, fans can still purchase tickets starting at $989, according to TickPick.
The price crash has created an unexpected opportunity for thousands of fans who could not previously afford tickets. The 2026 World Cup quarter-final schedule includes Spain vs Belgium, France vs Morocco, Norway vs England and Argentina vs Switzerland. The winners will advance to the semi-finals as the tournament intensifies.
For Nigerian football fans, the price drop is a mixed bag. On one hand, cheaper tickets mean more affordable access to the world’s biggest sporting event. On the other hand, the crash reflects the absence of African success stories beyond Morocco. Nigeria failed to qualify for the tournament, and no other African nation has advanced as far as Morocco.
From a Nigerian vantage point, the World Cup remains a distant spectacle. The country’s failure to qualify has diminished local interest, and the price crash in the secondary market is a reminder of what could have been.
The winners: fans who can now afford tickets to the World Cup quarter-finals. The losers: sellers who bought tickets at inflated prices and are now forced to sell at a loss, and the Nigerian Football Federation, which failed to secure qualification for Africa’s most populous nation.
Bottom Line: World Cup ticket prices have crashed by 50 percent. For fans, it is a bargain. For sellers, it is a disaster. For Nigeria, it is a reminder that the country is not on the biggest stage.