World Cup soccer ticket prices drop down to ‘only’ $7,380 for final
NEW YORK — World Cup ticket resale prices dropped for quarterfinal matches following the elimination of co-hosts United States and Mexico, and FIFA has nearly 1,200 seats on sale for the final at $7,380.
The site TickPick listed the lowest price for the Spain-Belgium game on Friday at Inglewood, California, at $1,381, down from $3,261 before the U.S. lost to Belgium in the round of 16.
The lowest price for the England-Norway match at Miami Gardens, Florida, on Saturday was $2,049, down from $3,866 before England defeated Mexico to reach the quarterfinals. It listed the lowest price for the Argentina-Switzerland game at Kansas City, Missouri, at $1,142, down from $2,381 before the round of 16.
Standing outside SoFi Stadium on Friday, Jake van Baarsel said he bought tickets two days earlier. The 65-year-old from Riverside, California, said he hadn’t previously planned on attending because he knew ticket prices were so high. But when his son called to tell him he obtained seats at a lower price, he decided to pay for two at $1,000 each to share the moment with his 13-year-old grandson.
“It’s one of those things — it’s a memory maker for my grandson and me,” he said. “So how much money do you put on a memory?
“So yeah, it’s steep for a game, but we enjoy.”
Others who bought tickets well ahead of Friday’s quarterfinal match paid far more.
Lisandro Pineda, 70, of East Los Angeles, said he paid about $2,200 a month ago.
“The price was too high, I think, but it’s a resale, remember,” he said. “I didn’t want to be left out. I’ve never been to a World Cup. I didn’t go to the one we had before. So I figured, I have the money, I have the time, what the heck, buy the ticket, so here we are.”
Kourosh Modarress, 68, of Los Angeles, said his family bought hospitality tickets at $7,000 each after they failed to obtain other tickets in one of FIFA’s sales rounds.
“I think it’s highway robbery,” he said.
FIFA had nearly 1,200 category two tickets priced at $7,380 on sale Friday for the World Cup final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The governing body’s last-minute tickets sales site, which at times had listed the game as sold out, had 1,178 seats available across five sections of the top deck along the sidelines: 282 in section 344, 299 in section 343, 139 in section 335, 443 in section 334 and 15 in section 333.
FIFA also was selling 68 front category one tickets in the lower deck at prices ranging from $19,995 to $32,970 and had remaining hospitality tickets in its Trophy Lounge and Trophy Lounge+ sections priced at $34,500 and $32,500, including food and drinks.
Soccer’s governing body did not immediately respond to a request for comment on why the additional tickets had become available.
Resale tickets for the final were available on FIFA’s marketplace at prices from $7,440.50 to $11,499,998.85.
Portugal hires coach
LISBON, Portugal — Portugal announced Jorge Jesus as its new coach on Friday following its disappointing run at the World Cup.
The 71-year-old Jesus has coached several Portuguese clubs, including Benfica and Sporting Lisbon. His last job was with Al-Nassr in the Saudi Arabian league, where he coached Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo.
The experienced Portuguese coach will replace Spaniard Roberto Martinez after Portugal lost 1-0 to Spain in the round-of-16 of the World Cup.
The hiring of Jesus as coach came two days after the Portuguese federation said it was parting ways with Martinez.
Ronaldo, the leading scorer for men’s international soccer with 146 goals, said that this was his final World Cup. But the global star has yet to say when he plans to retire from international play. He will be 43 by the time the 2028 European Championship, the next major tournament, rolls around.
Death threats
BOGOTA, Colombia — The Colombian soccer federation on Friday condemned death threats directed at midfielder Jaminton Campaz and his family following the national team’s elimination from the World Cup.
Colombia’s tournament ended Tuesday in a penalty shootout loss to Switzerland in the round of 16. During extra time, Campaz — who plays for Argentine club Rosario Central — missed a critical scoring opportunity when his shot went wide.
After the match, the player’s social media accounts were flooded with negative comments and threats. He decided to limit comments on his social media and, as a precaution, did not take the return flight to his home country with his teammates.
“No athlete, nor any member of their inner circle, should be subjected to intimidation for representing their country in a sporting arena,” the federation said in a statement.
On Instagram, Campaz shared a photo of himself covering his face in frustration, alongside a plea for respect.
In response to the harassment, the Colombian federation has urged the country’s attorney general’s office to expedite an investigation to identify those behind the threats.
The threats evoke a dark chapter in Colombian soccer history. During the 1994 World Cup in the United States, defender Andres Escobar scored an own-goal in a 2-1 loss to the host nation. Days after the team was eliminated and returned home, Escobar was murdered in Medellin.
Tuning in
MIAMI — Ashleigh Hallam teaches English at her local library in Indiana. She’s brushing up on her Spanish by watching the World Cup.
Many English speakers in the U.S. are tuning into Spanish broadcasts, even if they don’t understand the language.
“I can’t really understand everything they’re saying on Telemundo because they’re speaking in Spanish,” Hallam said. “But you understand what’s going on.”
Census figures show that about 20% of the U.S. is Hispanic, yet Telemundo points to Nielsen ratings to show that roughly half the World Cup viewers in the U.S. have watched at least some portion of some matches in Spanish.
Viewers are drawn to the excitement of Spanish commentary, famed broadcaster Andres Cantor’s “goooool” call, and the lack of commercial breaks. Some, like comedian Trevor Noah, prefer the uninterrupted coverage.



