4 Reasons USMNT World Cup Ticket Sales Could Be Lagging

BusinessSportsMoney4 Reasons USMNT World Cup Ticket Sales Could Be LaggingByIan Nicholas Quillen,Contributor.Follow AuthorApr 22, 2026, 05:00am EDTFormer US national team player Cobi Jones juggles a ball on the new test pitch for the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Sofi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on March 13, 2025. The pitch will be used for the upcoming Concacaf Nations League semifinals on March 20 when the US play Panama and Canada plays Mexico. (Photo by Frederic J. BROWN / AFP) (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)AFP via Getty ImagesWhile FIFA has been criticized in some circles for exploitative pricing of 2026 World Cup tickets, in most cases, ticket demand appears to be validating their approach, at least from an economic standpoint.One exception, a report Tuesday from The Athletic suggests, is the United States men’s national team’s two group games in Los Angeles.The report estimates that a bit over 2,000 tickets are still currently available for fixture against Paraguay, billed as special occasion to mark the opening of the majority portion of the tournament to be played on Ameican soil. And that may not include other tickets that FIFA has yet to release, since it continues to make some available at all matches on a rolling basis.Tickets for the third group game in Los Angeles against Turkey may also be slower than other fixtures, the report adds.FIFA has pushed back, saying that the documents used to draw this conclusion are misleading. Here’s the relevant paragraph on the FIFA perspective:A FIFA spokesperson, responding after publication Tuesday, said in an emailed statement that “ticket sales for the FIFA World Cup remain strong with a high degree of interest for all matches, including the ones you have highlighted.” The spokesperson argued that the document “does not accurately reflect actual sales to date” (The Athletic’s report cites ticket data as of April 10), and said “it would be misleading and irresponsible to publish such figures as f...