World Cup ticket prices record a drop as host USA and Ronaldo’s Portugal exit
By Luke Oluoch, July 8, 2026Tickets for the World Cup quarterfinal matchup in Los Angeles, United States, are swiftly dropping by more than half on resale markets, according to Forbes.
The revelation comes following the elimination of the USA, who was among the tournament co-hosts alongside Mexico and Canada, the other two hosts who have also since been eliminated.
USA, Ronaldo’s Portugal eliminated
Mauricio Pochettino’s team suffered a 4-1 defeat against Belgium in their round of 16 game at the FIFA World Cup in a clash that was marred by controversy over FIFA’s decision to overturn Folarin Balogun’s red card suspension.
The defeat marked the elimination of the final host after England sent Mexico packing following an intense clash at the Azteca that ended in a 3-2 advantage for the Three Lions on Monday, July 6, 2026.
Forbes has additionally placed the plummeting ticket prices of nearly 60 percent to Portugal’s elimination on Monday.
The defeat marked the end of the road for Cristiano Ronaldo’s team in what was the final World Cup match for the decorated Portuguese icon.
“Average get-in prices for the World Cup quarterfinals have fallen 31.5 per cent in the last day and 50.4 per cent in the last three days, according to SeatPick.
“The number of available tickets across the secondary market has jumped up to 49,415, a large jump from the 28,285 available when the World Cup first kicked off, SeatPick reported,”Forbes stated.
This comes on the backdrop of the North American tournament being listed as the most expensive World Cup ever.
The world governing body at one time struggled to sell out games, including the host nation USA’s opener against Paraguay.
Final eight teams
With over 90 per cent of matches played so far, it remains to be seen if the competition entering the final eight teams will reverse the trend.
Argentina and Switzerland became the latest nations to join the quarterfinal phase after their victories on Tuesday, July 7, 2026.
Lionel Messi led Argentina to a controversial 3-2 win over Egypt, while the European nation edged Colombia in a penalty shootout to advance to the next round.