The hottest ticket in Houston just got more expensive.
World Cup matches in Houston are commanding sky-high prices across late June and early July, with the cheapest ticket for five of the six remaining matches soaring past $1,000. Only one matchup has remained comparatively “affordable”—and even that window is quickly closing.
Saudi Arabia’s match against Cape Verde on June 26 had been the most affordable World Cup ticket in town, with prices dipping as low as $170 as recently as Sunday. But that bargain didn’t last long. You can thank Cape Verde, which pulled off the shocker of the tournament Monday afternoon.
Cape Verde, a nation with just over 500,000 residents, battled Spain—a traditional soccer powerhouse—to a 0-0 draw in Monday’s match at Atlanta Stadium. The result then rose prices for Cape Verde’s June 26 match in Houston. The cheapest available ticket on SeatGeek soared to more than $800 in the immediate hours after Sunday’s match. Those prices dropped as of Tuesday morning, though the lowest price still sits at more than $400.
Fans hoping for a budget-friendly World Cup experience in Houston are finding fewer and fewer options as demand accelerates.
Expect massive crowds and prices surpassing $1,000 on the secondary ticket market Wednesday for Houston’s second World Cup match, when international superstar Ronaldo takes the pitch for Portugal in its match against DR Congo (which used Houston as its host city for the 2026 World Cup). Prices and excitement will hit a crescendo later this month and in early July, when Houston hosts a Round of 32 match on June 29, then concludes its hosting duties with a Round of 16 match on July 4.
Both elimination-round matches will cost attendees more than $1,400 on the secondary ticket market as of Tuesday morning. Portugal vs. Uzbekistan on June 23 currently sports the most expensive ticket price, with the cheapest ticket clocking in at more than $1,500.