FIFA will take full advantage of the secondary market for the North American World Cup, charging both the reseller and the buyer.

FIFA will profit greatly from the resale of tickets for the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in North America. According to The Athletic, it will collect 15% of the ticket price twice on its official resale platform: once for the reseller, and once for the buyer.

The resale began last week, and ticket prices immediately skyrocketed. Some were purchased for tens of thousands of dollars, with the purchase price sometimes being more than ten times higher than the price paid on the primary market.

No resale ceiling

In previous World Cups, FIFA capped resale prices at face value and charged fees of 10% or less. For 2026, it adapted to the relatively unregulated secondary market in the United States and Canada. Thus, no cap has been set.

As a result, FIFA profits from every ticket resale. It takes 15% of the seller's revenue (a "resale commission," in its words) and another 15% from the buyer (a "buyer's commission").

Example: If a ticket is resold for $1,000, the seller will receive $850 and FIFA will take $150. The buyer will pay $1,150 in total, in addition to their 15% buyer's fee. FIFA will therefore collect $150 twice on the same resale.

"A good thing"

This additional resale revenue is in addition to the billions of dollars FIFA will earn from regular sales. Its base prices are by far the highest in World Cup history—in some cases, more than twice as high as at previous World Cups.

Industry experts told The Athletic that the 15% fee is similar to what StubHub, SeatGeek, and other U.S.-based resale companies charge. "This is a good thing because it helps regulate the number of transactions on the secondary market," said a University of Virginia professor.