In our Spotlight on Business report tonight, excitement is building for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but so is the frustration over tickets.

This week, FIFA opened the first round of access to get a seat to the tournament, but not to everyone, and even the folks included aren't guaranteed to get a ticket.

That's on top of the controversial pricing system being used that critics say locks out average fans in favor of those with deep pockets.

That could become a larger issue when New Jersey hosts the finals at MetLife Stadium.

Raven Santana reports.

Tickets for the 2026 FIFA World Cup are technically on sale as of last week, but not quite.

What opened on September 10th was just the first phase.

A pre-sale lottery exclusive to Visa card holders.

Fans who got in didn't buy tickets.

They simply applied for a chance to buy them starting in October.

"I plan on spending at least $300-$400 for one ticket, up to about $1,600-$2,500 for the better seats."

And while FIFA insists the system is fair, fans online are venting about digital waiting rooms, error messages, and a ticketing process that feels anything but transparent.

"Will they be $60 tickets?

Of course, because they have to justify that they did sell some at the prices they listed.

Who gets them and where they're located and what venue, that's a different story.

Adding to the frustration, FIFA's plan to use what it calls variable pricing, better known as dynamic pricing, means prices will rise or drop depending on demand.

Use of dynamic pricing in the World Cup is, you know, completely logical, right?

Because we have this sort of capacity constrained event that has some uncertainty around how many people are going to want to watch a game, who's going to want to watch what games, you know, etc.

Right?

So because of that uncertainty, having a pricing strategy that sort of adjusts to that demand is completely logical, right?

What that means, though, is there's going to be some of these really great games that are in high demand, which as we get closer to the games and we figure out who's playing are going to be very expensive.

And when it comes to the biggest games like the final that will be played at MetLife Stadium on July 19th, 2026, consultant Gus Penaranda says don't expect average fans in the stands.

The only millionaires are going to be at the final match.

The only children that you're going to see, the only, you know, people that, that, you know, that are locals or whatever are going to be those that are connected to work with, or are part of the major sponsors.

The biggest one, Coca-Cola.

In the past, discounted tickets have been set aside for locals, but FIFA has not announced any plans to do so this year.

And while Mexico is capping the amount resellers can charge for tickets, the U.S.

is imposing limits.

As resale sites heat up, consumer advocates warn that fans desperate for tickets could become prime targets for scammers.

You'll see tickets on resale markets go way up in price, but we're also expecting to see scammers come out of the woodwork trying to take advantage of desperate fans.

John Braille, vice president of public policy at the National Consumer League, says the safest play is to buy only from trusted resalers.

What I would encourage consumers to avoid are unregulated marketplaces, the Facebook marketplaces, Craigslist, the offshore resale websites, the guy standing outside the stadium.

FIFA says 1.5 million people entered the presale draw with the most demand coming from fans in the US, Canada and Mexico.

Around 1 million tickets are in play in the first presale phase.

FIFA says the cheapest tickets will start at $60.

But with social media already buzzing about sky-high costs, experts believe backlash is coming.

Once social media starts getting, "Hey, I got my ticket, but it didn't cost 60 bucks, it cost me 300.

Hey, I got my ticket," then you're going to start seeing a backlash.

And unlike Taylor Swift and Beyonce, FIFA controls the stadiums.

For now, fans have until September 19th to apply for the visa pre-sale draw.

Winners will be notified before the first purchasing window opens on October 1st.

And this is just the first of at least four sales phases before kickoff next June.

For NJ Spotlight News, I'm Raven Santana.

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