2026 World Cup: Get-in ticket prices for USA-Paraguay on par with Game 5 of NBA Finals
On the second day of the 2026 World Cup, the U.S. men's national team will take the pitch. The U.S. will take on Paraguay in Los Angeles, making it the first time in 32 years the USMNT will take part in a World Cup game hosted in the United States.
Because of that, ticket demand is fairly high for the event. The get-in price for USA vs. Paraguay sits at $1,137 as of Friday morning, per Gametime. That figure is on par with Game 5 of the NBA Finals, which has a get-in price of $1,430.
Among the first four World Cup matches, that $1,137 figure ranks as the second-highest get-in price so far.
Mexico vs. South Africa: $3,968
USA vs. Paraguay: $1,137
Canada vs. Bosnia & Herzegovina: $922
Korea Republic vs. Czechia: $637
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Perhaps unsurprisingly, Mexico's game against South Africa was easily the most expensive game to attend thus far. The contest was held inside the iconic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, giving hometown fans a chance to see their beloved national team take the pitch. Despite that high cost, the game was well-attended, with over 80,000 fans turning up to watch Mexico take home the 2-0 victory.
Interest in the USMNT isn't that high, though it will still cost fans a fair amount of money to attend Friday's game. The U.S. is hoping for a better performance compared to the last time the World Cup was hosted in the United States. The Americans finished in the Round of 16 that year.
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That's been par for the course for the men's team at the event. The men have reached the quarterfinals at the World Cup only once (2002).
Should the USMNT surprise and make a deep run, tickets will likely see a significant increase should the team advance to the later rounds.
While USA-Paraguay is on par with Game 5 of the NBA Finals, that comparison doesn't hold up when taking games at Madison Square Garden into account. Game 4 of the NBA Finals had a get-in price of $3,368 on Wednesday afternoon. And if the Finals extend to Game 6 — when the series would go back to MSG — costs will be even more out of control. The get-in price for that game already sits over $11,000. That figure will likely increase if the Knicks lose Game 5.
It's unclear whether the World Cup will see those kinds of numbers deeper into the tournament. Mexico seemingly has a shot at registering some ludicrous numbers if its team plays well, but will that be enough to topple ravenous Knicks fans who want to see their team win its first championship since 1973?
