World Cup final tickets have reached astronomical prices on FIFA's resale platform, with some seats listed for as much as $2.3 million less than 24 hours before kickoff. The match, widely billed as the most expensive sporting event in U.S. history, features Lionel Messi's Argentina against Spain and Lamine Yamal.

This surge in ticket prices underscores a World Cup tournament where fans have demonstrated an extraordinary willingness to spend, defying earlier concerns about high costs, visa restrictions, and domestic unrest in the United States. The event is set to be the single most expensive sporting event ever played in the U.S.

By Friday, most tickets were reported to be sold out, with a few remaining on FIFA's platform for approximately $32,000. However, by Saturday, no last-minute tickets were available on the official site. Resale prices on FIFA's own platform ranged from a low of nearly $10,000 to the staggering $2.3 million peak.

The record-breaking prices suggest FIFA's gamble on high ticket pricing has paid off, as fan demand has consistently exceeded expectations throughout the tournament. This final caps a quadrennial showpiece that has tested the financial limits of its attendees.

Scott Friedman, a ticketing expert who previously worked for the Cleveland Cavaliers, noted FIFA's success in gauging demand. "What FIFA did a very good job of was determining what demand would be because people [were] paying these absurd prices for just about all the 104 matches," Friedman said. He added that despite earlier concerns, the World Cup remains "the most popular tournament in the world by far globally."

Analysis of FIFA attendance data by Reuters revealed strong turnout for the tournament. More than half of the 72 group matches were attended to capacity, with most others falling just a few hundred fans short of a full house. FIFA reported that approximately 99.7 percent of available seats were filled during the preliminary stage matches.

These attendance figures contrast with early concerns sparked by empty seats at the Guadalajara Stadium for the June 11 match between South Korea and Czechia. The expansion of the tournament to 48 teams, the largest field ever, appears to have amplified global interest and fan engagement.

Initial ticket prices for group games were set at $575, more than double the most expensive group tickets from the 2022 World Cup. FIFA's dynamic pricing system meant many purchasers paid significantly more, with hundreds of tickets still available for the final on Wednesday for just over $7,000, prompting speculation about the upper limits of fan spending.