A ticket originally costing £460 is being resold for £26,220 on FIFA's official resale portal – 57 times its face value – as England prepare to face Mexico in a World Cup last-16 match that has fans and the government on edge.
England play Mexico at the Azteca stadium in Mexico City on Monday, 3 July 2026, with a 1am BST kick-off. Thomas Tuchel's side qualified by beating DR Congo in the round of 32. The match is a huge occasion: Mexico have lost only twice at the Azteca in 60 years, and the host nation will have thousands of fans behind them. England's official allocation is 3,000 tickets, distributed through the England Supporters' Travel Club (ESTC) ballot. 4,373 members applied, meaning the game was markedly oversubscribed. Any supporter with at least 27 caps (attendance points) was guaranteed a ticket at face value.
“Explains England's World Cup last-16 clash with Mexico: ticket resale, fan disruption, and 1am kick-off.”
Ticket resale has become a flashpoint. On FIFA's official resale site, 76 tickets were listed in the 'supporter' categories behind the England goal. The most expensive were four listed together at $30,000 (£22,800) each – plus a 15% FIFA buyer fee, taking the total to $34,500 (£26,220). The seller also pays FIFA 15% but would still profit $25,500 (£19,380) per ticket. The cheapest available ticket cost $3,448 (£2,620) – nearly 12 times its face value of $295 (£224). The FA cannot restrict resale because FIFA permits it. However, tickets in the cheapest $60 (£45) category cannot be relisted. The ESTC recently announced a home match anti-touting policy following a successful trial.
Off the pitch, England face a different challenge. Mexican fans are known for disrupting opposition hotels before big games. Before Mexico's round-of-32 win over Ecuador, thousands gathered outside Ecuador's hotel setting off fireworks and revving engines. Ecuador's federation lodged a complaint with FIFA. England will stay in a hotel in Mexico City, and FIFA has given the green light for roadblocks around its perimeter. Tuchel said he expects everything and will bring ear plugs. Due to FIFA rules, teams must arrive within 24 hours of kick-off, which is 8pm local time on Sunday. Tuchel noted the ideal is to go ten days before or last minute, but last minute is not allowed, so they go one night earlier.
For UK readers, the 1am kick-off means many fans will be watching from home – or planning to bunk off work or school on Monday. Skills minister Baroness Smith urged fans not to bunk off, saying she would take a 'disco nap' ahead of the match. Some London pubs are staying open for the game. The online abuse of England players has also been highlighted, with Mayor Sadiq Khan calling for Ofcom to investigate 'vile' racist comments.
Q: Why are England fans reselling World Cup tickets for thousands of pounds? Tickets for the England vs Mexico last-16 game are in high demand because the Azteca holds over 80,000 but England only got 3,000 allocation, oversubscribed by 1,373 members. The ESTC cap system meant only fans with 27 or more attendance points were guaranteed face-value tickets, so others who secured tickets in the ballot can list them on FIFA's official resale site at any price they choose.
Q: What time is England vs Mexico and where can I watch it? The match kicks off at 1am BST on Monday, 3 July 2026, and will be broadcast live on BBC One. Some London pubs are planning to stay open to show the game.
Q: Are Mexican fans allowed to disrupt England's hotel before the match? FIFA decides on a case-by-case basis. For this match, FIFA has approved roadblocks around the England team hotel to prevent disruption. However, fans are still expected to try and cause noise, as they did before Mexico's win over Ecuador, which led to a formal complaint from the Ecuadorian federation.
What happens next: England and Mexico play at 1am BST on Monday at the Azteca. The FA cannot restrict ticket resale, but the ESTC is introducing anti-touting measures for home matches.