From Thursday, South Africans will be able to apply for tickets for next year’s World Cup in North America.
Bafana Bafana were drawn into Group A and will face co-hosts Mexico in the tournament opener on June 11, 2026, exactly 16 years after the two countries met in the first game of the 2010 World Cup in Johannesburg.
While the ticket lottery will start on Thursday, the first phase of ticket sales actually kicked off on September 10, and 2 million tickets were snapped up. Some of those tickets have since ended up on resale platforms.
Fans who want to attend the opener have to act quickly as they are fast running out. According to the StubHub portal, only 2% of tickets remain for the match. And you will need deep pockets.
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The cheapest single ticket available for resale would set you back R73,623. That would get you a seat in the nosebleed section, the upper stands of Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Category 2 tickets, also near the top of the stands, go for R95,938.
The prices go up incrementally the closer you get to the action on the field.
For the best seats in the house, which is the lowest section of the stands and would allow you to sit right behind the players’ dugout, you would need to pay a cool R1.3 million for a single ticket. However, you would have to move fast to secure your place as there are only four left on StubHub.
Fortunately, FIFA’s own official resale marketplace will reopen on December 15.
Despite the scramble for premium seats and the eye-watering figures on secondary platforms, South Africans still have a chance to be part of history when the official resale portal reopens.
With Bafana Bafana set to launch the tournament in one of football’s most iconic stadiums, demand is only expected to intensify in the coming weeks. For fans dreaming of witnessing that opening whistle in person, Thursday’s lottery and the December resale window represent the final lifelines – and they’ll need sharp reflexes, good fortune – and a sizeable budget – to secure their spot.
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