Want to Watch Ronaldo at the World Cup? Hope You Have 2,500 Dollars Lying Around

There is seeing your hero play. And then there is taking out a second mortgage to do it. For fans hoping to catch what could be Cristiano Ronaldo's final World Cup appearance, the latter is starting to look disturbingly realistic.

The match between Portugal and Colombia on 27 June at the 2026 World Cup has become a phenomenon off the pitch. Specifically, a very expensive phenomenon. The anticipation surrounding Ronaldo's potential last dance has caused the price of the cheapest tickets to explode in ways that would make an oil executive blush.

According to The New York Times, citing data from TicketData, back in December last year — before the group stage draw was even known — the cheapest ticket for the match at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, was under 400 dollars (roughly 340 euros). Then FIFA announced the fixture: Portugal versus Colombia. Less than an hour later, the cheapest tickets shot up to more than 2,000 dollars (around 1,700 euros).

Now? The lowest-priced resale tickets are averaging around 2,500 dollars, which is over 2,120 euros, according to figures from TicketData reported by the Wall Street Journal. To put that in perspective, the average resale price for a Super Bowl ticket last season was 2,109 dollars. A World Cup group stage game is now outpricing the biggest event in American football.

This match is already the most expensive group-stage fixture, excluding games involving the three host nations. The only thing more expensive? The final itself, where resale tickets start at 8,400 dollars each (around 7,130 euros).

So why is everyone losing their minds over this particular group game? A few reasons.

First, Ronaldo. If Portugal fail to qualify for the next round, the clash with Colombia — known as "Los Cafeteros" — could be the last chance to see the Portuguese star play in his national team colours. That is a powerful emotional driver for deep-pocketed fans.

Second, both teams are good. Portugal and Colombia are ranked in FIFA's top 15, making this one of only four matches in the opening round between two nations from that elite cohort. Neutral fans with cash to burn take notice.

Third, location matters. Florida is home to a Colombian community of nearly 500,000 people. That is a lot of potential ticket buyers with a direct emotional connection to one of the teams.

Portugal's group stage schedule is as follows: they open against the Democratic Republic of the Congo at NRG Stadium in Houston, then face Uzbekistan at the same venue, before finishing against Colombia at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. If Ronaldo is waving goodbye after that third match, the people holding those 2,500-dollar tickets will consider it money well spent. Everyone else will just have to watch on TV.