US and Mexico exits send World Cup ticket prices plunging
World Cup ticket prices are plunging on resale markets after the United States and Mexico were eliminated in the Round of 16, stripping away the host-nation demand that had inflated quarterfinal costs across North America. TickPick data cited by CNN shows get-in prices for Friday's Spain-Belgium game in Los Angeles fell roughly 65%. Cheapest seats for that matchup dropped from about $3,200 to $1,100, according to CNN.
All three 2026 co-hosts are now out, and the secondary market is pricing actual matchups instead of dream scenarios featuring the USMNT or El Tri.
Key Takeaways
- Spain-Belgium quarterfinal get-in prices fell about 65% to roughly $1,100 after the U.S. lost 4-1 to Belgium, per TickPick data cited by CNN.
- Mexico's loss to England sent Miami quarterfinal ticket prices down 45%, from nearly $4,000 to about $2,000.
- Forbes reports the Los Angeles-area match get-in price dropped from $2,950 to nearly $1,200 after Portugal was eliminated.
- WESH tracking shows cheapest quarterfinal pairs range from about $1,013 to $1,551 per ticket on resale sites.
Why did World Cup ticket prices drop after the US and Mexico exits?
Secondary sellers had priced quarterfinal tickets as if the U.S. and Mexico would still be playing this weekend. When both fell on back-to-back days in the Round of 16, demand for their would-be games collapsed almost immediately.
"Quarterfinal tickets were priced with the expectation that both Mexico and the U.S. would advance," Brett Goldberg, TickPick co-CEO, told CNN. "When they lost on back-to-back days in the Round of 16, there was an immediate and significant drop in demand for their respective quarterfinal matchup."
Portugal's exit added another shock. Spain's 1-0 win ended Cristiano Ronaldo's World Cup career and removed star power from the Los Angeles quarterfinal, Forbes reported. SeatPick data shows average quarterfinal get-in prices down 50.4% over three days, with resale inventory jumping to about 49,415 tickets from 28,285 at kickoff.
How much are World Cup quarterfinal tickets now?
CNN reported Spain-Belgium tickets near $1,100 and the Miami quarterfinal slot around $2,000 for the cheapest seats after Mexico's exit reshaped that matchup.
WESH analyzed secondary market listings as the quarterfinals began Thursday, finding the lowest pairs at roughly $1,013 each for France-Morocco, $1,059 for Spain-Belgium, $1,551 for Norway-England, and $1,484 for Argentina-Switzerland. Forbes put the Los Angeles get-in price near $1,200 as of Tuesday.
The World Cup final on July 19 in New Jersey remains far pricier. Forbes cited a get-in resale cost of $9,346 as of Tuesday afternoon.
What quarterfinal games are left on the 2026 schedule?
Four quarterfinals run July 9 through 11 across the United States. France faces Morocco on Thursday at 4 p.m. ET at Gillette Stadium. Spain meets Belgium on Friday at 3 p.m. ET at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, the slot the U.S. would have filled with a win.
Saturday brings Norway vs. England at 5 p.m. ET in Miami and Argentina vs. Switzerland at 8 p.m. ET in Kansas City. Follow the tournament in our Celebrity Breaking News section.
Who wins and loses when World Cup ticket prices plunge?
Fans hunting last-minute deals are the clear beneficiaries. Tickets priced for host-nation storylines are suddenly within reach for matches still featuring France, Spain, Argentina, and England.
Brooks Schaden, co-founder of Tom's Watch Bar, told CNN that days featuring Mexico and the United States were "massive lifts" for the chain. With both teams gone, he forecasts World Cup day business will decline about 50%.