How much are tickets for the United States’ World Cup bandwagon?
According to the resale market, they start at $1,735.
That was the “get in price” for the U.S. men’s national team’s second World Cup group stage match against Australia on the secondary market by Saturday afternoon, according to TicketData.
That represents an enormous 61% increase over the last three days, with much of that spike coming following the USMNT’s exceptional performance in a 4-1 rout of Paraguay in Friday night’s World Cup opener in Inglewood, Calif.
There is plenty of time for the price to climb further, as the match is not until Friday at 3 p.m. ET in Seattle.
The Americans’ Group D finale on June 25 against Turkey back in Inglewood, Calif., has seen an even greater proportional spike over the same stretch, with the get-in price up 73% to $1,516.
If this reflects surging expectations for a squad that has seen mixed performances in recent years, it’s understandable.
Friday’s victory, powered by two goals from Folarin Balogun, another from Gio Reyna and a Paraguay own-goal, marked the first time the USMNT had ever scored four times in a World Cup finals match and only the third time they had ever won by three goals.
The other two three-goal triumphs were 3-0 group stage wins over Belgium and Paraguay in the inaugural 1930 tournament played in Uruguay.
Bookmakers also are improving their view of the USMNT. Their average World Cup title-winning odds dropped to 40-to-1, according to OddsPortal, after beginning the tournament at 50-to-1 or higher, depending on the oddsmaker.
The Americans are now the fourth-most-expensive draw in the tournament as of early Saturday afternoon, behind only co-host Mexico, Brazil and Portugal.
–Ian Nicholas Quillen, Field Level Media
