TORONTO : Resale ticket prices for Portugal’s World Cup Round of 32 clash against Croatia in Toronto next week have surged, with the average price for the cheapest available ticket climbing above $3,000, according to data from ticket-tracking website Ticketdata.
Portugal set up the July 2 meeting after finishing second in Group K following a draw with Colombia, while Croatia secured second place in Group L with a victory over Ghana.
The knockout tie at Toronto Stadium will reunite Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo with former Real Madrid teammate Luka Modric.
According to Ticketdata, the average price for the cheapest resale ticket reached $3,225 as of 11 p.m. ET (0300 GMT) on Saturday, making it the most expensive Round of 32 match on the secondary market.
Ticketdata collects pricing information from resale platforms including StubHub and Vivid.
The average resale price more than doubled from its pre-match level before Portugal’s group-stage draw with Colombia, reflecting the dynamic pricing model introduced by FIFA for the 2026 tournament.
The system allows ticket prices to fluctuate with demand, a practice commonly used for concerts and major sporting events in North America, and had already pushed resale prices for several group-stage matches above $1,000.
A previous Reuters analysis found that rising ticket and accommodation costs have made the 2026 World Cup increasingly expensive for supporters, raising concerns that the tournament is becoming less accessible to lower-income fans.
FIFA has urged supporters to buy and resell tickets only through its official resale platform, saying it is the only marketplace where it can guarantee the secure transfer and delivery of tickets.
