The U.S. men’s national team will take on Bosnia & Herzegovina in the World Cup round of 32 on Wednesday night at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., a highly-anticipated match-up between a confident American side and a physical, scrappy Bosnian team.
The Stars and Stripes punched their ticket to the knockout stage game back on July 19, after two victories over Paraguay and Australia crowned them the winners of Group D. The U.S. still had a group stage match left to play and didn’t even know yet who it would face in the round of 32; nevertheless, ticket prices for the Santa Clara match soared, jumping to over $3,000—in some cases, even up $4,500—on FIFA’s platform as well as on third-party ticket sites like StubHub and SeatGeek.
The USMNT’s history-making dominance in the first two group stage matches certainly played a role in the subsequent $1,000 spike in cost, inspiring a nation that had largely laughed off manager Mauricio Pochettino when he said he expected to reach the quarterfinals or even the semifinals this summer. The U.S. looked every bit the quintessential tournament dark horse: the grit, the attitude, the poise, the goals. It earned the investment of American fans who had still not entirely bought into soccer’s most prestigious event taking place right on their doorstep. Of course, though, FIFA’s new pricing model has ensured that most matches require fans to shell out thousands, at least those looking for a last-minute seat and this late into the tournament.
USMNT fans will be pleased to know, though, that in the hours before the team kicks off against Bosnia, the prices have significantly dropped. Don’t be fooled, though. They are by no means cheap now and will still price out the vast majority of supporters.
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Ticket Prices Plummet
The USMNT has not won a World Cup knockout stage match since the 2002 tournament in South Korea and Japan, when it defeated Mexico 2–0 in the round of 16. The Americans, however, enter as the favorite in the new round of 32 stage, largely expected to topple Bosnia, who finished third in a moderately-competitive Group B.
Many supporters are eager to see the U.S. achieve something it has failed to do for the past 24 years, and the match is anticipated to be sold out. For anyone still searching for a ticket, FIFA’s last-minute sales phase platform still has some, but they are few and far between. Only Category 1 and Category 2 seats remain available, costing roughly between $1,200 and $1,500—half of what the seats cost nearly two weeks ago.
On FIFA’s official resale platform, there is more availability, yet it is still limited and comes at a higher price. Category 1 seats start at $2,000. Category 2 and Category 3 tickets start at $1,675. Category 4 pricing is roughly between $2,300 and $2,700.
Wheelchair & Easy Access Amenity seats remain available for around $2,000 as well.
The reasoning behind the drop in pricing may be two-fold. The former ticket costs likely just priced out too many eager fans, something that has happened across all of North America this summer. The U.S.’s 3–2 loss to Türkiye last Thursday might have also tempered excitement. It was a poor showing for the heavily-rotated squad and might have reignited old doubts regarding the team’s capabilities.
The USMNT will be eager to get back on track Wednesday night and set the record straight.
