Ticket prices for Friday’s FIFA World Cup quarterfinal between Spain and Belgium have fallen sharply following the elimination of co-hosts the United States and Portugal, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, from the tournament.
According to Forbes, the cheapest resale ticket for the match in the Los Angeles area dropped from about $2,950 (about N4.16 million) to around $1,200 (about N1.69 million) by Tuesday afternoon, based on data from TickPick.
The decline represents a fall of nearly 60 percent after demand cooled in the wake of Monday’s Round of 16 results.
The United States saw its campaign end with a 4-1 defeat to Belgium in Seattle, while Portugal exited after a 1-0 loss to Spain in Dallas.
Substitute Mikel Merino scored the winning goal in stoppage time to send the European champions into the quarterfinals and bring an end to Cristiano Ronaldo’s World Cup career.
Ronaldo had already confirmed that the 2026 FIFA World Cup would be his final appearance at the tournament.
Had either the United States or Portugal advanced, the quarterfinal would likely have featured one of the competition’s biggest commercial attractions, combining a host nation with one of football’s biggest global stars.
Instead, the exits of the Americans and Ronaldo significantly reduced demand in the resale market.
The France versus Morocco quarterfinal in Foxborough, Massachusetts, is now the least expensive last-eight fixture, with secondary market tickets starting at $989 (about N1.39 million).
While quarterfinal ticket prices have declined, demand for the final remains strong. As of Tuesday afternoon, the cheapest resale ticket for the July 19 final in New Jersey was listed at $9,346 (about N13.18 million), although prices are expected to change depending on the finalists.
Data from SeatPick showed average resale prices for the World Cup quarterfinals have fallen by 31.5 per cent over the past 24 hours and 50.4 per cent over the last three days.
The number of tickets available on secondary marketplaces has also increased to 49,415, up from 28,285 when the tournament began.
Despite the recent drop, the 2026 FIFA World Cup remains the most expensive edition of the competition, with early resale prices reaching as much as seven times those recorded at previous tournaments.
