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World Cup ticket prices skyrocket on FIFA re-sale site | The Express Tribune

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World Cup ticket prices skyrocket on FIFA re-sale site | The Express Tribune


The cheapest available ticket for the final on the resale site was listed at $9,775

BIGGEST EVENT: John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, D.C., U.S. – December 5, 2025 General view of the FIFA World Cup trophy during the draw Pool. Photo: REUTERS


WASHINGTON:

Ticket prices for the 2026 World Cup have skyrocketed on FIFA’s official resale platform, with seats for many matches listed at several times their face value even though most tickets have only recently been distributed following the end of the main sales phase in January.

Weeks after FIFA President Gianni Infantino warned that tickets made available on resale sites were likely to come with an exorbitant price tag, those fears have come to pass on world football’s own platform.

As of Wednesday, a “category three” seat — the highest section of the stands — for the tournament’s opening game between Mexico and South Africa at Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium on June 11 was listed at $5,324, compared to an original price of $895.

One category three seat for the World Cup final on July 19 at East Rutherford, New Jersey, meanwhile, was being advertised for an eye-watering $143,750 — more than 41 times its original face value of $3,450.

The cheapest available ticket for the final on the resale site was listed at $9,775.

In a few rare cases, though, some ticket prices have actually decreased. One ticket for Austria’s group game with Jordan at the Levi’s Stadium in California — which hosted Sunday’s Super Bowl — is being offered at $552 despite costing its original buyer $620.

For football fans around the world, some of the prices on FIFA’s resale site are confirmation of what they have railed against since the tournament draw in December.

“These exorbitant prices unfortunately don’t surprise me. It reflects what we know and what we fight against: many people buy to resell,” Guillaume Aupretre, spokesperson for the France national team supporters group “Irresistibles Francais”, which has nearly 2,500 members.

“In the end, who pays the price? The passionate fans who end up with outrageous offers. We would prefer that this benefit real fans who come to support their team, but unfortunately, that’s not the case.”

Yet despite the steep price tag, sales remain brisk, reflecting a global clamor that has seen some 500 million requests for tickets according to FIFA.

‘Monumental betrayal’ 

While its resale platform benefits from FIFA’s endorsement, the football body specifies in its terms of sale that it acts only as a facilitator — for a 15% fee — in this fan-to-fan market, and that resellers are the ones who determine ticket prices.

“Generally speaking, the pricing model adopted for FIFA World Cup 26 reflects the existing market practice for major entertainment and sporting events within our hosts on a daily basis, soccer included,” FIFA said in a statement.

“This is also a reflection of the treatment of the secondary market for tickets, which has a distinct legal treatment than in many other parts of the world. We are focused on ensuring fair access to our game for existing but also prospective fans.”

The resale market is unregulated in the United States and Canada. In Mexico, reselling a ticket above face value is prohibited, but only when the ticket is purchased in Mexico using the local currency.

Ticketing has become one of the most controversial issues surrounding the World Cup, with fan groups around the world such as Football Supporters Europe accusing FIFA of a “monumental betrayal” over pricing.

That in turn prompted FIFA to introduce a tiny sliver of tickets priced at $60 for official supporters groups. Critics maintain the cut-price category does not go far enough in addressing the problem.

FIFA meanwhile has been notifying applicants since February 5 whether they have obtained tickets during the second sales phase, which ended in January.

A final “last-minute” sales phase, from April until the end of the competition, will be organized on a “first-come, first-served” basis.

During these sales phases, FIFA states that it applies “variable pricing” whereby prices fluctuate “according to demand and availability” for each match.

However, it emphasizes that it does not apply “a dynamic pricing model (…) given that prices are not automatically adjusted.”



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Seahawks GM John Schneider goes viral after awkward Kenneth Walker III contract talk at Super Bowl LX parade

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Seahawks GM John Schneider goes viral after awkward Kenneth Walker III contract talk at Super Bowl LX parade


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Viral moments seem to spawn out of championship parades these days, for better or worse.

For Seahawks GM John Schneider, the Super Bowl LX parade in Seattle on Wednesday saw an awkward moment involving the game’s MVP, running back Kenneth Walker III, go viral after what he said to the crowd.

Walker had himself quite the Super Bowl, capping off a terrific postseason run for the 25-year-old set to hit free agency this offseason with his rookie contract up.

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Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider speaks during the Super Bowl LX trophy celebration at Lumen Field on Feb. 11, 2026. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)

Well, Schneider, holding a red Solo cup in his right hand, decided the podium in front of the entire city, with Walker over his left shoulder, was the best place to start negotiations on a new deal.

“Ken Walker being the MVP, let’s go!” Schneider yelled to the cheering crowd. “He tried negotiating with me five minutes ago. It was really weird. Anyway, hey, M-V-P! M-V-P!”

SEAHAWKS’ KENNETH WALKER III EARNS SUPER BOWL MVP HONORS AFTER DOMINANT RUSHING PERFORMANCE

Walker smiled and shook his head, with social media users believing he looked uncomfortable in the moment. But he later addressed Schneider’s comments on Instagram.

“Must’ve been da liquor he drinking cuz I never said dat shi!” he captioned a post on his Instagram Stories with the video of Schneider, accompanied by two laughing emojis.

John Schneider at Super Bowl parade

General manager John Schneider of the Seattle Seahawks celebrates with fans during the Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl LX victory celebration and parade at Lumen Field on Feb. 11, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

Walker carried the Seahawks’ offense throughout the low-scoring affair until the fourth quarter saw 30 combined points against the New England Patriots. Walker finished with 135 rushing yards on 27 carries, while collecting 26 receiving yards on two catches.

In a split backfield with Zach Charbonnet this season, Walker still rushed for 1,027 yards on 221 carries with five touchdowns on the ground and 282 receiving yards on 31 receptions. It was the Michigan State product’s second season rushing for over 1,000 yards, which includes a breakout rookie campaign after Seattle drafted him in the second round in 2022.

The Seahawks didn’t have their two-headed monster in the backfield in the playoffs, though, as Charbonnet suffered a season-ending injury. Walker made the best of the heavier workload, rushing for 313 yards on 65 attempts with four touchdowns, three of which coming in the 41-6 rout of the San Francisco 49ers.

John Schneider holds Super Bowl trophy

John Schneider, general manager of the Seattle Seahawks, celebrates with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after winning Super Bowl LX against the New England Patriots at Levi’s Stadium on Feb. 8, 2026 in Santa Clara, California. The Seattle Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots, 29-13. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

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It would benefit the Seahawks, who currently have $72.28 million in projected cap space this offseason, to re-sign Walker. His market value is currently projected at around $9 million per season by Spotrac, but it may be even higher after his playoff run.

Either way, negotiations will start when both sides are ready to hit the table — sober. The thrill of winning the Super Bowl remains fresh, as it should after a hard-fought season.

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Forest looking for record 4th manager of season. Do multiple hirings and firings work?

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Forest looking for record 4th manager of season. Do multiple hirings and firings work?


Nottingham Forest are in the process of looking for yet another manager this season after the board decided to pull the plug on Sean Dyche’s 114-day tenure in the wake of a gloomy 0-0 draw against rock-bottom Wolverhampton Wanderers on Wednesday.

Dyche is actually a candidate for the Premier League Manager of the Month award for January after earning seven points from a possible 12 last month for the relegation battlers. However, he has now been relieved of his duties less than two weeks into February after the stalemate against Wolves left his side teetering just three points above the bottom three.

Forest began the 2025-26 season with Nuno Espírito Santo in the dugout, after the Portuguese coach led them to Europa League qualification last term, but he lasted three games until a public quarrel with owner Evangelos Marinakis saw him replaced in early September by Ange Postecoglou. Postecoglou’s disastrous stint extended to eight winless games before Dyche was appointed in October with Forest in 18th place.

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Eighteen games down the line and Forest are now 17th with 12 league fixtures left to play. Sources have told ESPN that ex-Wolves boss Vitor Pereira is Forest’s preferred candidate to be their fourth permanent manager this season, which will be a Premier League record as and when the new full-time coach is confirmed.

Obviously, Forest’s fate this season is yet to be decided, but there is certainly precedent when it comes to Premier League clubs chopping and changing their manager multiple times during the same campaign. Indeed, there have now been 21 occasions (including Forest) when teams have employed three permanent managers in a single season. Here’s a look at how it went for them.


When it ‘worked’

Crystal Palace, 2014-15 (Tony Pulis, Neil Warnock, Alan Pardew) — Finished 10th

Palace’s season began in suboptimal fashion when Pulis walked out less than 48 hours before the opening game to be immediately replaced by Warnock, who managed to win just three games in 18 before being dismissed in the wake of a home defeat against Southampton on Boxing Day that left the side mired in the relegation zone. Pardew then arrived in January, and the ensuing bounce was enough to propel the Eagles to the giddy heights of mid-table obscurity by the end of May.

Swansea City, 2016-17 (Francesco Guidolin, Bob Bradley, Paul Clement) — Finished 15th

While it’s a slight stretch to suggest that 2016-17 was a vintage season for Swansea, they did at least successfully navigate their way up and out of a relegation dogfight by rotating through a trio of head coaches. In truth, the Swans were patchy throughout, but they did benefit from a marked upturn in results following Clement’s arrival in January (including three wins in their final three games of the season), which ultimately proved enough to avoid the drop by seven points.


When it made no real difference

table visualization

Leicester City 2001-02 (Peter Taylor, Dave Bassett, Micky Adams) — Finished 20th

Set against a backdrop of financial plight, Leicester made a dire start to the season with Taylor getting sacked before the end of September. Multiple managerial and structural swaps were made, but nothing could deliver the Foxes from relegation after they spent almost the entirety of the campaign bogged down inside the bottom three.

Portsmouth 2004-05 (Harry Redknapp, Velemir Zajec, Alain Perrin) — Finished 16th

Having made a decent start to the season, Redknapp had Portsmouth 10th in the table when he abruptly left in controversial circumstances following a dispute with chairman Milan Mandaric over Zajec as his new director of football. Zajec then stepped into Redknapp’s wake, but the disruption saw a downturn in results as Pompey slid down toward the relegation zone. Perrin then replaced Zajec in April and the French just about managed to secure the club’s Premier League status with a smattering of games left to play.

Southampton 2004-05 (Paul Sturrock, Steve Wigley, Harry Redknapp) — Finished 20th

After just six turbulent months in charge, Sturrock left Southampton in August to be replaced by Wigley, who failed to inspire any discernible change in results and/or morale. Redknapp then made the unthinkable decision to leave local rivals Portsmouth in a bid to save the Saints from relegation, and did have the chance to do so going into the final day of the campaign. Unfortunately, a home defeat against Manchester United sent Saints back into the second tier.

Portsmouth 2008-09 (Harry Redknapp, Tony Adams, Paul Hart) — Finished 14th

Having won the FA Cup the previous year, things began to fall apart for Portsmouth in 2008-09 as Harry Redknapp walked out in October with the club in seventh place. Despite Adams overseeing a five-match unbeaten streak early in his tenure, a disastrous December and January period saw Pompey lose eight of their nine league games as they gradually slid down into the lower recesses of the table. Fortunately enough, Newcastle United, Middlesbrough and West Bromwich Albion all suffered far more abject seasons, meaning that Portsmouth were never really in danger of going down.

Fulham 2013-14 (Martin Jol, Rene Meulensteen, Felix Magath) — Finished 19th

A dire season for all involved saw Fulham sink down into the relegation zone by the middle of September and, barring a couple of brief moments of hope, remain there until the end of the campaign.

West Brom 2017-18 (Tony Pulis, Alan Pardew, Darren Moore) — Finished 20th

The writing was very much on the wall for West Brom in 2017-18 as a poor run of form saw them sink down to the foot of the table by early November. Pulis and Pardew both came and went, but the Baggies found themselves rooted in the relegation zone by December. They did muster impressive wins over Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur under Moore at the tail end of the season but it was much too little, much too late.

Fulham 2018-19 (Slavisa Jokanovic, Claudio Ranieri, Scott Parker) — Finished 19th

Newly-promoted Fulham struggled to gain a foothold in the Premier League and, as a direct result, spent 32 of the season’s 38 gameweeks in the relegation zone. Parker did conjure up a mini-resurgence via a three-game winning run in April, but alas, the Cottagers were pretty dire throughout.

Watford 2019-20 (Javi Gracia, Quique Sánchez Flores, Nigel Pearson) — Finished 19th

Gracia was sacked after taking just one point from the opening four games of the 2019-20 season though Quique Flores similarly failed to inject any tangible impetus as the Hornets spent the majority of the campaign in the bottom three. They were seven points adrift at the bottom when Pearson took charge in December and three points above the dotted line of doom when he was sacked with two games remaining. Watford then duly lost both matches and were relegated — and you’d be hard pressed to say they didn’t deserve it.

Watford 2021- 22 (Xisco Muñoz, Claudio Ranieri, Roy Hodgson) — Finished 19th

Another season of now-familiar managerial upheaval at Vicarage Road saw Xisco, Ranieri and Hodgson all enter and exit through the revolving door. After a fairly underwhelming start, things got gradually worse as the campaign went on and a meagre two wins under Hodgson from January onwards finally saw them jettisoned from the Premier League in May.

Leeds United 2022-23 (Jesse Marsch, Javi Gracia, Sam Allardyce) — Finished 19th

After bumbling through to February under Marsch’s oft-confusing tutelage, Leeds fired the American coach after finding themselves outside of the relegation zone on goal difference following defeat against fellow stragglers Nottingham Forest. Gracia failed to make any gains at all during his 12-game stint before Big Sam was brought in for the final month of the campaign to hopefully help stave off the drop. It didn’t work.

Tottenham Hotspur 2022-23 (Antonio Conte, Cristian Stellini, Ryan Mason) — Finished 8th

With Tottenham fourth in the league and out of all cup and European competition. Mounting friction between Conte and the board reached a tipping point in March as the Italian departed the club after just 16 months in charge. Things didn’t exactly go horribly awry in the aftermath, but short stints under Stellini and Mason saw Spurs tumble out of the European qualification spots in the final two games of the season and wash up in eighth place.

Southampton 2024-25 (Russell Martin, Ivan Juric, Simon Rusk) — Finished 20th

On record as one of the most pathetic seasons in Premier League history, Southampton were utterly risible from the off. Looking hopelessly doomed from the very start, the Saints desperately cycled through three managers only to get relegated after 31 games — thus breaking the previous record for the Premier League’s earliest relegation, held by Derby County (2007-08) and Huddersfield Town (2018-19).


When it all went wrong

table visualization

Crystal Palace 1997-98 (Steve Coppell, Attilio Lombardo/Thomas Brolin, Ray Lewington) — Finished 20th

With long-serving Coppell in charge, newly-promoted Palace were 10th in mid-November before a takeover well and truly pulled the rug from beneath their collective feet. Coppell moved upstairs to become director of football, with Palace installing marquee stars Lombardo and Brolin as joint player-managers as an interim solution. Results absolutely tanked in the aftermath and the Eagles were promptly relegated in April. Lewington then stepped in for the final handful of league fixtures.

Sunderland 2002-03 (Peter Reid, Howard Wilkinson, Mick McCarthy) — Finished 20th

After flirting with and then narrowly avoiding relegation the previous season, Sunderland very much picked up where they left off in 2002-03 by dipping in and out of the drop zone for the first half of the campaign. Reid was sacked in October to be replaced by Wilkinson, who had been out of management for six years at that point. Somewhat predictably, results fell off a cliff and the Black Cats went on to lose all but three of their Premier League games from mid-November until the end of the season before being emphatically relegated.

Charlton Athletic 2006-07 (Iain Dowie, Les Reed, Alan Pardew) — Finished 19th

With popular manager Alan Curbishley resigning after 10 years at the helm, Charlton moved quickly to fill the void by appointing Dowie, who had been in charge at neighbours Crystal Palace the previous season. Dowie spent the majority of his brief stint down in the drop zone before being sacked in November to be replaced by his assistant coach Reed, who infamously lasted just 41 days in charge at The Valley — a Premier League record until Postecoglou’s horror show at Forest earlier this season. Reed produced just one victory during that time and Pardew was unable to salvage anything from the wreckage as Charlton were consigned to relegation.

Newcastle United 2008-09 (Kevin Keegan, Joe Kinnear, Alan Shearer) — Finished 18th

Keegan left Newcastle in September after falling out with the board over a lack of control over transfers. Chris Hughton then came in as interim, only for the results to nosedive, prompting the club to appoint Kinnear. Massively unpopular from the get-go, Kinnear kicked things off with an infamously foul-mouthed news conference before having to step down in February over health issues. With the Magpies wallowing in the mire, Hughton returned as emergency caretaker before club legend Shearer was entrusted with saving the season with eight games remaining. Shearer did muster one win (against rivals Middlesbrough), but the writing was already very much on the wall by that point.

Aston Villa 2015-16 (Tim Sherwood, Remi Garde, Eric Black) — Finished 20th

A far cry from the high-fliers of 2025-26, Villa found themselves in the doldrums a decade previous when Sherwood’s initial happy-go-lucky surge ran out of momentum and quickly gave way to months of barren misfortune. After arriving in early November with Villa bottom of the table, Garde proved to be too much of a grim disciplinarian to rally his sullen troops and they remained utterly rooted from that point on to ensure the club were relegated from the top flight of English football for the first time since 1986-87.

Chelsea 2022-23 (Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, Frank Lampard) — Finished 12th

After bobbing about in the top eight for the first few months of the season, the whim of new co-owner and chairman Todd Boehly ushered in something of a debacle at Stamford Bridge as Champions League-winning coach Tuchel was dismissed to be replaced by Potter. Despite a smart new haircut, the former Brighton coach failed to mesh as the underperforming Blues slid down into the mid-table morass while also being knocked out of all cup competitions into the bargain. Potter was fired after just 31 games, with Lampard handed the reins for the final leg of what proved to be a fairly forgettable season.



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American Jessie Diggins pushes through extreme pain to win bronze at Winter Olympics

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American Jessie Diggins pushes through extreme pain to win bronze at Winter Olympics


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American Olympian Jessie Diggins pushed as hard as she could across the finish line in the women’s cross-country skiing 10-kilometer freestyle and nabbed a bronze medal at the Winter Olympics on Thursday.

Diggins, battling bruised ribs, was trying to make the podium in between Swedish and Norwegian skiers. She endured the pain and fell to the ground.

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Jessie Diggins, of the United States, falls to the ground after crossing the finish line in the cross country skiing women’s 10km interval start free at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Tesero, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026.  (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

She was writhing in pain just after crossing the line. The NBC broadcast heard Diggins yell as her teammate tried to help her out while she tried to catch her breath. Diggins did it for love of the sport and now can call herself an Olympic medalist. She crossed the line at 23.38.90.

Sweden’s Frida Karlsson had the top time of 22:49.20, finishing 46.6 seconds ahead of fellow Swede Ebba Andersson. Norway’s Astria Oeyre Slind was just over 3 seconds behind Diggins.

AMERICAN OLYMPIAN JORDAN STOLZ SETS OLYMPIC RECORD, CAPTURES GOLD IN 1,000-METER RACE

Hailey Swirbul helps Jessie Diggins

Jessie Diggins of the United States and Hailey Swirbul of the United States react after the race on Feb. 12, 2026. (REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach)

It’s the first medal for Team USA on the day as the U.S. looked to hang with Italy and Norway in the total medal standings.

Read More About The 2026 Winter Olympics

Diggins was a silver medalist in the 2022 Beijing Olympics in the event. She also had a bronze in the individual sprint in those Games. Diggins was a part of the gold-medal winning team sprint at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics.

She can still pick up more medals with the 50-meter classical race and the 4×7.5-kilometer relay still to come.

Jessie Diggins races

Jessie Diggins of United States and Krista Parmakoski of Finland in action on Feb. 12, 2026.  (REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq)

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Diggins and American Ben Ogden are now medalists in the sport. Ogden won a silver in the men’s classical sprint earlier this week.

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