With 100 days to go until the World Cup kicks off, demand for tickets to the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada has reached fever pitch, despite eye-popping prices set to keep fans hooked amid global turmoil following the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran.

In addition to the war against Iran, where the World Cup group matches will be played in the United States, a harsh immigration crackdown in the United States and the violence that erupted near the host city of Guadalajara after the death of Mexico’s most wanted drug lord have also raised concerns among fans.

“I was worried that I might not be allowed to enter the country. I decided to fly to Canada at best, not the United States,” German football fan Tom Roeder told Reuters

“I hope that at least the issue of war with Iran doesn’t spill over into North America, at least not in a way that affects us personally.”

FIFA did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment, but said nearly 2 million tickets had been sold in the first two sales phases and demand was very strong, with World Cup tickets oversubscribed by more than 30 times.

The most expensive tickets for the opening game are close to $900 and for the final are over $8,000, while tickets for games involving leading nations generally cost at least $200. The cheapest tickets to the final are priced at $2,000, with the best seats at $8,680 – and that’s before taking into account FIFA’s official resale website, where Tier 3 seats for the July 19 game in New Jersey are being advertised for a whopping $143,750, more than 41 times their original face value of $3,450.

Political and social tensions surrounding the host country are nothing new for the World Cup.

Mexican President Claudia Scheinbaum said there was “no risk” for fans coming to the country, and Adrian Nunez Corte, leader of Spain’s fans association Unipez, said the situation had not affected willingness to buy tickets.

“Obviously this caused concern, but after the first few hours of panic, some Spanish fans living in the area helped calm the situation,” Corte said.

“U.S. immigration policy is not causing panic, but people are carefully preparing the necessary visas to avoid problems, especially since some fans will be traveling between the U.S. and Mexico for game schedules.”

The excitement for the North American Championship is unprecedented.

“Demand for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico is the strongest I have ever experienced,” said Michael Edgley, director of Australia’s Green and Gold Army Travel.

“I think FIFA will make record revenue. There’s no doubt about it.

“This World Cup will be a huge financial success and the beneficiaries will be the member associations.”

But such popularity comes at a price.

With the tournament spanning 16 host cities in three countries, geography adds another layer of complexity, making it more challenging and expensive for fans who want to follow the teams.

“Ticket prices have been a major drawback, particularly affecting the number of games each fan can attend, as well as the distance between venues and the costs involved,” Colter said.

Secondary ticket market surges

The hit to ticket prices is even more pronounced this year, especially given the huge resale market where tickets are sold for more than face value, which is legal in the U.S. and Canada.

FIFA defends ticketing model.

“Unlike the entities behind the profit-driven third-party ticket market, FIFA is a not-for-profit organization,” a spokesman said.

“Revenue generated from FIFA’s 2026 World Cup ticket sales model will be reinvested in the development of global football. … FIFA expects to reinvest more than 90% of its budget investment for the 2023-2026 cycle back into the sport.”

Mehdi Salem, vice-president of French football fans association Les ‌Baroudeurs du Sport, said his members had seen prices rise by more than 200% in 2018 as informed by the French Football Federation and FIFA.

The pricing problem is so severe that the Salem Association, which has about 400 members, will only have 100 people attending games — a significant drop he attributes to ticket prices and the political landscape in the United States.

“We feel this World Cup will not be a true people’s World Cup, but an elite World Cup,” Salem added.