2026 World Cup stadium set to host England opener faces big issue with half of tickets still unsold

The 2026 World Cup is now just weeks away, but one of the tournament's biggest venues appears to be dealing with an unexpected challenge after fresh figures emerged around ticket sales.

AT&T Stadium in Arlington, which is set to host England's opening match vs Croatia, had been expected to see overwhelming demand, yet new numbers suggest plenty of seats are still waiting to be filled.

Arlington claim only 50% of tickets have been sold for 2026 World Cup matches

According to information presented to the Arlington City Council, between '35 and 50 per cent' of tickets for World Cup matches in the city have currently been sold.

Officials stressed that FIFA has not released every ticket at once, with inventory continuing to be released in phases as the tournament approaches.

Deputy City Manager Jennifer Wichmann said the latest figures provided to the city showed earlier group-stage fixtures performing more strongly than later knockout matches.

A significant portion of tickets for elimination games also remains unavailable for purchase.

Around 50 per cent of tickets for knockout fixtures are reportedly being held back by FIFA, allowing supporter allocations to be distributed once participating teams are confirmed.

Questions have also emerged around wider tournament demand, with hotel industry surveys indicating bookings are currently lower than expected.

The American Hotel and Lodging Association reported that 80 per cent of respondents said bookings were below forecasts, with visa issues and wider geopolitical concerns identified among the key reasons.

Meanwhile, ticket prices have already begun falling.

Data from TicketData suggests World Cup ticket prices across host cities have fallen by 23 per cent in the last month, while group-stage matches in Arlington have reportedly seen a 24 per cent drop, with average entry prices currently around $777 (£580).

Dynamic pricing also means costs could continue to move in either direction closer to kick-off.

FGG says: This is genuinely surprising given who is playing there

You would normally expect a stadium hosting England’s opener – as well as matches featuring defending champions Argentina and the Netherlands – to be among the easiest to sell out.

But this likely says more about pricing than a lack of interest. The appetite for the World Cup is clearly there, as FIFA has repeatedly highlighted huge global demand, but fans still have limits.

With prices already starting to soften, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see further reductions before kick‑off, especially for matches where the teams are still unknown.