FIFA began selling single-ticket luxury hospitality packages on Monday. Artist rendering of the VIP area provided by FIFA.Supplied
Soccer fans who want to guarantee themselves a ticket to next year’s FIFA World Cup in Toronto and Vancouver can now buy their way in, starting Monday – but they’ll have to dig deep for the privilege.
FIFA began selling single-ticket luxury hospitality packages on Monday at 10 a.m. (ET), with prices starting at $2,500 for the least expensive tier and rising several thousand dollars through a series of more lavish offerings.
Regular-priced tickets will go on sale later this year, though FIFA has not yet announced how much they will cost. Demand is expected to outstrip the supply of seats, likely prompting FIFA to hold lotteries to determine who may buy tickets.
As Canadian fans grapple with both the sticker shock of the high-end offerings and the uncertainty over access to the tournament for the hoi polloi, the company selling the luxury packages insists they are targeting not only the well-heeled but also regular folk looking to fill out their bucket list and forge special memories.
“Our goal is always to provide once-in-a-lifetime experiences to guests,” said Leah Linke, the senior vice-president of production for On Location, the official hospitality provider of the World Cup.
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In a presentation to reporters in Toronto last week, Linke unveiled seven tiers of premium packages, including the entry-level FIFA Pavilion ($2,500 starting price), which gives ticket holders access to an enclosed patio area outside the stadium, both before and after the match; Trophy Lounge ($3,700 starting price), which includes halftime access to an air-conditioned VIP area; and Pitchside Lounge ($5,350 starting price), which treats attendees to Champagne on arrival with dedicated guest relations staff at a nearby lounge, so fans don’t have to walk far to access halftime refreshments.
Fans can also purchase private suites or, if money is no object, select a bespoke offering through the Platinum Access Program, which offers curated itineraries that can include all travel (a private jet? helicopter rides?), luxury accommodations, special non-match-day entertainment, “connecting and engaging with celebrity guests,” and other exclusive elements. Pricing for those options was not made available to reporters.
Linke estimated that an average of 6 to 8 per cent of seats in each stadium will be reserved for all tiers of premium offerings – about 3,500 out of the 45,000 seats at Toronto’s BMO Field and about 4,300 in the 54,000-seat capacity at BC Place.
Some of the 16 stadiums hosting the tournament across North America, such as Toronto’s BMO Field, are racing to add VIP lounges and other luxe accommodations to ensure there are enough such spaces for the moneyed World Cup patrons jetting in from across the globe.
Toronto will host six games, including the Canadian national men’s team’s first World Cup match on home soil, on June 12, 2026. Vancouver will host seven games, including the Canadian men’s team’s two other first-round matches, on June 18 and June 24, 2026.
The company did not provide prices for the three games that Canada’s men’s team will play in the first round.
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Linke noted that all of the company’s hospitality packages provide three hours of food and beverage before the match, as well as two hours after the match. “While you look at our prices and you might think, ‘Wow, that’s a lot,’ it’s not when you really look at the value of what you’re getting,” she said. She added that the company has “dedicated access points for all of our guests where they can go in, cut the line,” and get through security to ease their way.
One long-time fan greeted the news of the high-end offerings with a sense of resignation.
“I would be lying if I said that there was no resentment,” said Alex Ho, an Ottawa soccer fan who is part of the leadership team for The Voyageurs, a Canadian soccer supporters group. “But I’m also a realist. Once you put this type of event in North America, this is what would have been expected.”
Like many of his fellow fans, Ho is bracing himself for when FIFA announces the pricing for its regular block of tickets later this year. He expects them to be significantly higher than the $325 he paid for his most expensive seat at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. “There are going to be a lot of people who cannot afford $1,000 a ticket.”
Still, he added, given the hype for next year’s World Cup, “I have no doubt they’ll be able to sell every single ticket, whether it’s $2,500 or $10,000.”
Organizers of the seven FIFA World Cup soccer matches coming to Vancouver in 2026 say the estimated cost of hosting the event will be between $483-million and $581-million, including costs for the city, the province and stadium upgrades. (Apr. 30)
The Canadian Press
Editor’s note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that the Canadian national men's team will play their first World Cup match on home soil June 13, 2026. The match is scheduled for June 12, 2026.