The cost of attending USA and Australia's FIFA World Cup game is staggering — and it's not falling

Fans hoping to nab a last-minute ticket to the USA’s World Cup clash against Australia could be in for a shock.

With the two sides set to meet in Seattle on Friday, ticket prices remain sky-high, and there’s little sign they’ll drop before kick-off.

According to Sports Business Journal, the cheapest resale ticket for the Group D matchup was listed at $1,932 on Wednesday afternoon, making it one of the most expensive fixtures of the tournament so far.

World Cup ticket prices are rising, not falling

It’s common for resale prices to dip as an event nears, especially when sellers are eager to offload unsold tickets. But that hasn’t happened with USA vs Australia.

Keith Pagello, founder of TicketData.com, said that entry-level prices hovered around $1,000 in the month leading up to the World Cup, but demand surged as soon as the tournament got underway.

Between last Friday and Sunday, prices doubled, briefly hitting $2,200 before settling just below $2,000 ahead of match week.

Pagello noted that this trend has caught many in the resale market off guard, with prices now higher than any previous point, even after the initial spike when the match schedule was released last December.

Why experts don’t expect prices to fall before kick-off

The main issue comes down to simple supply and demand. Pagello explained that FIFA has sold out its primary ticket allocation for the match, and resale options are scarce despite strong demand from fans.

“Things have softened ever so slightly since then. But given the combination of no primary inventory available from FIFA, very limited resale inventory, and a lot of people who fully intended to attend this match for months and may already be in Seattle without tickets, odds are not in favour of there being a significant decline in price on match day,” he said.

That last point could prove crucial. Many supporters have already travelled to Seattle in the hope of attending, and are still searching for tickets, keeping demand high right up to kick-off.

So anyone holding out for a late bargain may be left disappointed. Unless there’s a sudden influx of tickets, getting into USA vs Australia looks set to remain a four-figure expense until the very last moment.

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