Think World Cup tickets are rich? Here are 4 even costlier international sporting events this weekend
As long as you can get to New York City, Raleigh, Barcelona, or The Hamptons
With the world’s biggest sporting event kicking off this weekend, mostly in markets that are underwhelmed by soccer, it’s worth putting the sky-high ticket prices in perspective.
As the CBC reported recently, data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) shows that in Guadalajara, Mexico, the secondary ticket market is among the highest for the tournament in an area with the lowest average per-capita incomes of host cities. While in San Francisco, tickets are among the cheapest because, frankly, no on there cares about soccer/football that much.
Over the next few days, June 10 to 14, the World Cup kicks off with the first group stage games in Vancouver, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Miami, Toronto, Boston, Philadelphia, New York, Guadalajara, Mexico City, Monterrey, Houston, and Dallas.
Tickets in Canadian dollars for those games range from around $250 to $900 and more. Resale tickets for those matches are mostly several hundred dollars with games in Toronto and Vancouver starting above $1,000 per ticket. In Vancouver for Canada vs. Qatar on June 18, the cheapest tickets are $670 in the corner of the upper bowl up to around $1,200 near the pitch at half, up to $4,000 for box seats and $5,300 for FIFA Pavilion tickets, which give you seats, access to a hospitality lounge, all-inclusive culinary menu and bar before, during and after the game.
But this weekend there is a lot more going on than international soccer. The NBA Finals continue as do the Stanley Cup Finals, the US Open is on, the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix, the World Cup of Darts and, hey, there’s a Jays game, too.
While those World Cup tickets are pricey to be sure, there are four events with starting tickets more expensive than the cheapest FIFA seats. The starting grounds ticket to walk around Shinnecock in Southampton, New York for the U.S. Open is more expensive than the cheapest World Cup ticket. A three-day general admission ticket to the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona this weekend is $340 to $380.
And if you want to really give your accountant or your significant other a heart attack, the Stanley Cup Finals are way more expensive, with the NBA Finals at truly next level prices.
Tickets at Lenovo Centre in Raleigh, North Carolina for game 5 of the Stanley Cup finals between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Las Vegas Golden Knights start at $600 for standing room, go to $800 for the cheapest seats, and are up to $4,000 for the best seats near the ice. As for game 6, if needed back at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, they’re even more.
The NBA finals tickets are bonkers. To compare, the best seats for the second-most expensive sporting event this weekend at more than $5,500, the Stanley Cup, wouldn’t even get you in the door to the lowliest seats at Madison Square Garden in New York City to see the Jalen Brunson's Knicks battle Victor Wembanyama's Spurs. The cheapest seats in the upper bowl in the corner of MSG were selling as of June 9 for more than $6,000. It goes up from there, all the way to the floor where if you want to rub shoulders with Spike Lee or Cardi B or Timothée Chalamet, the most expensive seats listed as of Tuesday were on in row A for $88,000 a pop.
Having said all that, if you happen to be or can get to Toronto or Frankfurt, Germany, you can get in to a Toronto Blue Jays game against the New York Yankees or the World Cup of Darts for about the price of a beer at the NBA finals.
7 sporting events this weekend
1. NBA Finals Game 4 - June 10 - San Antonio Spurs vs. New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, New York, New York
The most expensive ticket on this list by a considerable margin. Recent reporting showed Game 4 "get-in" prices around $6,100 to $11,700 (CAD) depending on resale market fluctuations. Courtside and celebrity-row seats can easily reach five figures and occasionally six figures.
2. Stanley Cup Final Game 5 - June 11 - Las Vegas Golden Knights vs. Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Centre in Raleigh, North Carolina
The Hurricanes host Vegas on June 11 with current resale listings to get in the door at around $1,100, with premium lower-bowl and club seats reaching several thousand dollars. Historically, game 5s can be the most expensive as they are often potential cup-clinching games and often exceed $1,300 for the cheapest seat.
3. Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix - June 12-14 - Barcelona
General admission is still attainable, but F1 hospitality gets expensive quickly.
- General admission: roughly $340–380
- Premium grandstands: about $1,000+
- Paddock Club and elite hospitality: $10,000-$14,000+ (sometimes much higher through package providers)
4. U.S. Open Golf - June 11-14 - Shinnecock Hills, Southampton, New York
Shinnecock Hills is among the most exclusive venues in golf. Gallery tickets are roughly $365. Hospitality and premium viewing areas range into the thousands.
5. FIFA World Cup - June 11 to July 19 - Canada, U.S. and Mexico
The surprise story is how expensive the World Cup has become. Resale tickets for group-stage matches are commonly several hundred dollars, with many Toronto and Vancouver matches reportedly starting above $1,000 on resale markets. Premium hospitality packages can run into the tens of thousands.
6. Toronto Blue Jays vs. New York Yankees - June 12, 13 - Rogers Centre, Toronto
Unsurprisingly, the bargain on the list. You can still get into Rogers Centre for around $60 to $90 while premium club seats, behind-home-plate sections, and suites can run hundreds or thousands.
7. World Cup of Darts - June 11 to 14 - Eissporthalle, Frankfurt, Germany
The undisputed value champion. It’s darts after all. But a fan can get a perfectly respectable seat for less than what a couple of beers cost at an NBA Finals game. Even premium table seating is usually around $1,000. For atmosphere-per-dollar, it might actually be the best deal in world sport. And you get to yell "180!" when your favourite player hits a perfect three darts.
Sporting events this weekend, June 11-14, ranked by cheapest tickets to most expensive
- 🎯 World Cup of Darts – $40-$80+
- ⚾ Toronto Blue Jays – $90-$500+
- ⚽ FIFA World Cup – $250-$600+
- ⛳ U.S. Open Golf – $290-$550+
- 🏁 Spanish Grand Prix – $340-$380+
- 🏒 Stanley Cup Final Game 5 – $1,200-$6,000+
- 🏀 NBA Finals Game 4 – $6,000-$7,000+
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Paul J. Henderson
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