England fans hoping to watch the Three Lions face Mexico in the World Cup last-16 are being asked to pay at least £2,600 for a single ticket on Fifa's official resale site – nearly 12 times the original face value. As supply dries up and demand skyrockets, supporters are left with few affordable options to see their team in action.
The match, set for Monday 6 July at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, kicks off at 1am UK time. Before the tournament, the England Supporters' Travel Club was given an allocation of 4,000 tickets for the 80,824-seat stadium. All were sold at the ballot stage in January, and Fifa has confirmed no further tickets will be issued through official channels. This means resale sites – primarily Fifa's own platform and independent marketplaces like SeatGeek – are the only way for fans to now get into the game.
“Explains why World Cup ticket resale prices are so high and what fans need to know.”
Why are prices so high? The combination of a home nation playing (Mexico are co-hosts) and a limited secondary market has driven costs through the roof. Before England's victory over DR Congo, only 250 tickets were listed on Fifa's site. That number rose to 429 overnight after the win, but the cheapest available was a supporter-value ticket originally priced at $295 (£224) now listed at $3,000 (£2,280). With Fifa's purchase fee of $450 (£342) added, the total comes to £2,622 – 12 times face value. Some category four tickets, originally $170 (£129), are now priced at $5,175 (£3,933) – 30 times the original cost. Even a category one seat in the lower bowl, with an original price of $1,064 (£809), has been listed at $31,712 (£24,101) plus a Fifa fee of $4,757 (£3,615). On SeatGeek, the cheapest ticket was $3,887 (£2,954) including fees.
This pattern of high resale prices has been seen throughout the tournament, particularly for matches in Mexico City, where home supporters are eager to watch their team. The limited supply of tickets on the secondary market – at one point only 273 were available – means prices are set by sellers and can be astronomical.
For UK fans, the financial sting is compounded by the kick-off time. The match begins at 1am BST on Monday, and the UK Government has confirmed it will not grant an extra bank holiday for the day after the game. While the Government has written to local councils urging them to consider extended licensing hours for pubs to screen the match, it stated that "the current pattern of bank and public holidays is well established." This contrasts with Scotland, which was awarded an additional bank holiday on Monday 15 June to celebrate the Scottish national team's World Cup debut. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has previously hinted that a bank holiday could be on the cards if England wins the tournament, but he refused to commit, saying he did not want to "jinx" it.
Here are some key questions fans are asking:
Q: Why are World Cup resale tickets so expensive? A: High demand from home fans and limited supply on the secondary market drive prices up. Fifa allocates only a small number of tickets to away supporters, and once those are sold, the only way to buy is through resale sites, where sellers can name their price.
Q: Is there any way to buy a ticket at face value now? A: No – all official allocations have been sold, and Fifa will not issue more. The only option is the resale market, where prices are often many times the original cost.
Q: Will the UK Government declare a bank holiday for the match? A: No. The Government has ruled out an extra bank holiday for the day after the Mexico game, though Prime Minister Starmer has suggested one could be considered if England wins the World Cup final on 19 July.
Looking ahead, fans who still want to attend must monitor resale sites closely, as prices may drop if sellers reduce their listings. But with only a few hundred tickets available and tens of thousands of supporters hoping to watch, affordable entry looks unlikely. For those staying at home, the match will be broadcast live on BBC One, and while there is no bank holiday, the extended licensing hours may allow some to watch in pubs before heading to work.