{"id":376502,"date":"2026-06-26T23:26:40","date_gmt":"2026-06-26T23:26:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/376502\/"},"modified":"2026-06-26T23:26:40","modified_gmt":"2026-06-26T23:26:40","slug":"want-to-watch-the-us-play-in-the-world-cup-at-levis-stadium-it-wont-be-cheap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/376502\/","title":{"rendered":"Want to Watch the US Play in the World Cup at Levi\u2019s Stadium? It Won\u2019t Be Cheap"},"content":{"rendered":"

Want to see the U.S. men\u2019s national soccer team play in the Bay Area against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the World Cup\u2019s knockout phase? What to know about buying tickets on resale sites.<\/p>\n

Jun 26, 2026<\/p>\n

Updated 1:16 pm PT<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Auston Trusty #6 of the United States celebrates with teammates after scoring his team’s first goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match between T\u00fcrkiye and USA at Los Angeles Stadium on June 25, 2026, in Inglewood, California. \u00a0(Jamie Squire\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Now, the most dominant USMNT of a generation is coming to Santa Clara for the July 1 knockout stage match to play against Bosnia and Herzegovina.<\/p>\n

And if the f\u00fatbol hype is getting to you and you\u2019re tempted to try to see superstar striker Folarin Balogun score \u2014 or Christian Pulisic play after finally recovering from his calf injury \u2014 you\u2019re not the only one.<\/p>\n

\"\"Sebastian Berhalter #14 of the United States celebrates scoring his team\u2019s second goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match between T\u00fcrkiye and USA at Los Angeles Stadium on June 25, 2026, in Inglewood, California. (Jamie Squire\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Demand for World Cup games has only grown since the tournament kicked off, with some of the more \u201caffordable\u201d seats for the upcoming USMNT match listed online for more than $2,000.<\/p>\n

Keep reading for what to know if you\u2019re hoping to see Team USA play their World Cup knockout match in Santa Clara next week \u2014 how much tickets are going for and how to avoid falling prey to a ticket scam.<\/p>\n

Can I still get a ticket to see the United States men\u2019s national soccer team\u2019s Bay Area World Cup match?<\/p>\n

FIFA is no longer offering tickets or hospitality packages for the upcoming USMNT match on its official website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This means your remaining option is to check out available resale tickets on verified resale sites like Ticketmaster, StubHub, SeatGeek and TickPick.<\/p>\n

\"\"A team locker room at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, temporarily renamed from Levi\u2019s Stadium for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, in Santa Clara on June 10, 2026, where six tournament matches will be played. (Beth LaBerge\/KQED)<\/p>\n

If you end up buying tickets on a resale site, you will choose the seat you want and make your payment on that site, but you will then have to confirm that these tickets are now yours on either the official FIFA World Cup 2026 App or the FIFA Resale Marketplace website.<\/p>\n

As for the actual tickets, they will only be available on FIFA\u2019s FWC2026 Mobile Tickets app \u2014 available in both the Apple<\/a> and Play<\/a> stores.<\/p>\n

A resale vendor can only transfer the tickets via the FIFA Resale Marketplace \u2014 they can\u2019t promise to email or text you your tickets.<\/p>\n

How much are tickets for the USMNT\u2019s July 1 World Cup match?<\/p>\n

What\u2019s a fair price for tickets? Because FIFA is no longer offering tickets for this match, it\u2019s difficult to say with accuracy. But across major resale sites, prices seem to follow a general trend a few days before the July 1 match:<\/p>\n

400 section seating: The \u201cnosebleed\u201d seats are going for between $2,000 and $4,000
\n300 and 200 section seating: Seats in the \u201cmiddle\u201d section are going for between $3,000 and $6,000, with a few vendors listing their tickets at almost $10,000
\n100 section seating: While many of the closest seats to the field are going for more than $5,000, you can find slightly cheaper spots in the rows behind the goal, which means less visibility of the whole game.<\/p>\n

Even on verified resale sites, stay alert<\/p>\n

A few weeks before the Australia vs. Paraguay match at Levi\u2019s Stadium on June 25, Marin County soccer fan Lei Cai bought two tickets to the game on StubHub. She soon received an email from StubHub telling her that her tickets were ready.<\/p>\n

But when she logged into the FIFA portal, \u201cthat\u2019s when I found out there\u2019s no tickets to claim,\u201d Cai said. And after calling StubHub multiple times for several weeks, trying to get an answer, she was eventually informed by the company that the person who listed the seats online never actually made the tickets available for her.<\/p>\n

\"\"The San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, temporarily renamed from Levi\u2019s Stadium for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, in Santa Clara, on June 10, 2026, where six tournament matches will be played. (Beth LaBerge\/KQED)<\/p>\n

Cai said StubHub originally offered only a refund for her tickets after learning of the situation. \u201cYou should not be able to sell something that doesn\u2019t exist,\u201d Cai said after accepting she wouldn\u2019t be going to the game. \u201cYou\u2019re scamming families.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, after KQED contacted the company requesting comment on Cai\u2019s situation, StubHub reached out to her directly to offer two new, free tickets to the same match \u2014 in a seating section much closer to the field.<\/p>\n

Similar ticket transfer problems have plagued soccer fans nationwide<\/a>. At Spain\u2019s World Cup match against Cape Verde in Atlanta on June 15, an Associated Press journalist encountered<\/a> more than a dozen fans who reported being in similar situations, stuck outside the stadium without access to the tickets they thought they\u2019d bought.<\/p>\n

StubHub told KQED that FIFA\u2019s ticketing app has seen performance issues affecting ticket transfers across all resale platforms, leading to situations where the transfer process couldn\u2019t be completed in time for the match.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery order is backed by our FanProtect Guarantee and getting fans to their matches remains our top priority for the rest of this tournament,\u201d a company spokesperson said, adding that fans who are still having ticket problems should contact customer services directly and ask for \u201cWorld Cup specialist support.\u201d<\/p>\n

In an emailed statement, FIFA told KQED that it \u201ccan guarantee the validity and delivery of tickets purchased through its official platforms.\u201d However, the problems that Cai and other fans have experienced on third-party sites have arisen when they can no longer buy tickets on FIFA\u2019s website.<\/p>\n

Ticketmaster<\/a>, SeatGeek<\/a> and TickPick<\/a> also have consumer guarantees listed on their website that promise buyers will receive their tickets on time ahead of the event. If you\u2019ve already bought a ticket, confirm \u2014 as soon as possible \u2014 that you actually have access to them on the FIFA Resale Marketplace and FWC2026 Mobile Tickets app.<\/p>\n

And if you don\u2019t see your tickets? Contact the resale site as soon as possible. Have your order number ready, along with any other information you had to share when you made your purchase. In past cases, these sites have usually offered affected customers a full refund, and in some instances, folks got different seats to the same game.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t fall for a scam<\/p>\n

Vendor problems on resale sites may encourage some soccer fans to look elsewhere for a better deal. But talking to strangers on sites that are not verified \u2014 like Facebook Marketplace \u2014 increases the risk of getting ripped off, Santa Clara County Assistant District Attorney James Gibbons-Shapiro said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe criminal is simply looking for someone desperate enough to go to the World Cup that they\u2019re willing to send a lot of money right away to a total stranger,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"\"Weston McKennie of the United States runs with the ball during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match between USA and Australia at Seattle Stadium on June 19, 2026, in Seattle, Washington. (Emilee Chinn\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

If you find seats you like on a verified site like Ticketmaster or SeatGeek, make sure you make the actual payment on this same website \u2014 and never on another platform. Scammers often promise you \u201ca better deal\u201d if you make the payment using instant payment sites like Zelle, Venmo and Cash App.<\/p>\n

But fraudsters aren\u2019t trying to save you money with this suggestion: They\u2019re trying to make it easier for themselves to keep your money.<\/p>\n

If you paid for seats that are listed on Ticketmaster, for example, but paid the \u201cvendor\u201d on Venmo, you can\u2019t claim Ticketmaster\u2019s buyer protections, as you didn\u2019t actually use the resale site to make a purchase.<\/p>\n

No, don\u2019t try to buy a ticket outside Levi\u2019s Stadium on July 1<\/p>\n

While some scammers are able to print tickets that look very \u201crealistic,\u201d there are, in fact, no physical tickets being issued during this World Cup. FIFA has adopted a fully electronic model for fans to store and display their tickets on their phones using the FWC2026 Mobile Tickets app.<\/p>\n

So if someone approaches you outside Levi\u2019s Stadium and offers you a physical ticket, that\u2019s a fake. \u201cDon\u2019t go to the stadium to try to buy a ticket there,\u201d Gibbons-Shapiro said. \u201cYou\u2019re not gonna be able to get in, and you\u2019re going to lose all your money.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Fans gather ahead of the USA vs Paraguay World Cup game in Los Angeles on June 12, 2026. (Lauren Justice for KQED)<\/p>\n

Scalpers are actually not permitted on stadium grounds \u2014 and reselling tickets near the stadium is a misdemeanor crime in California.<\/p>\n

Additionally, ticket rules require fans to claim their tickets on FIFA\u2019s platforms at least 1 hour before the match starts; otherwise, they won\u2019t be able to enter the stadium.<\/p>\n

If someone shows you they have a virtual ticket available on the FIFA Resale Marketplace website \u2014 but the game begins in 20 minutes \u2014 it\u2019s likely you won\u2019t be able to claim the ticket once the seller has transferred it to you.<\/p>\n

I just got scammed buying a fake World Cup ticket. What can I do?<\/p>\n

If this were an individual you met online, make sure to document all your communication with them \u2014 including screenshots of any messages in case they attempt to delete anything from their end of the conversation.<\/p>\n

If you were scammed online or over the phone:<\/p>\n

You can then report the situation to your local police department, as the city where you live is defined as where the crime took place.<\/p>\n

If you bought the fake ticket in person from a scalper:<\/p>\n

Contact the police department of the city where the transaction took place. \u201cIf that happened right outside the stadium, that would be Santa Clara Police Department,\u201d Gibbons-Shapiro said.<\/p>\n

\"\"San Francisco Bay Area Stadium (temporarily renamed from Levi\u2019s Stadium for the 2026 FIFA World Cup) in Santa Clara, California, on May 19, 2026. Levi\u2019s Stadium will host six matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, including five group stage matches throughout June 2026. (Josh Edelson\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

You can also file a complaint with the California Attorney General\u2019s office<\/a> or the Better Business Bureau<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Gibbons-Shapiro said his office is ready to prosecute anyone who tricks others into buying fake World Cup tickets, adding that he would consider that to be a felony.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have robust teams for consumer protection and theft enforcement,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re going to prosecute the scammers.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you think you were scammed while using a verified resale site, contact the platform\u2019s customer service team immediately. While it\u2019s not certain that they can get you the seat you initially bought, they can usually help you get your money back \u2014 something that\u2019s not guaranteed at all if you contact a stranger making offers on social media.<\/p>\n

Ticketmaster: Call their customer service line directly at 800-653-8000, available Monday to Friday 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. PST, Saturdays 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. PST and Sundays 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. PST.
\nStubHub: You can message the customer service team online<\/a> or call 888-720-9452.
\nSeatGeek: You can message the customer service team online<\/a>, email hi@seatgeek.com<\/a> or call 888-506-4101.
\nTickPick: You can fill out an online form<\/a> or call 845-538-4567.<\/p>\n

This story includes reporting from The Associated Press.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Want to see the U.S. men\u2019s national soccer team play in the Bay Area against Bosnia and Herzegovina…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":376503,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[88,90,89],"class_list":["post-376502","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-jose","tag-san-jose","tag-san-jose-headlines","tag-san-jose-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/376502","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=376502"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/376502\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/376503"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=376502"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=376502"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=376502"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}