World Cup Pride Match tickets still available as final sales phase opens

There were plenty of tickets available for the World Cup‘s first-ever designated Pride Match when FIFA’s “last-minute sales phase” began Wednesday.

The Group G clash between Egypt and Iran at Seattle’s Lumen Field, which has provided one of the biggest talking points in the build-up to the 48-team tournament beginning June 11, was among 10 matches showing good availability.

Outsports accessed the portal at around 1pm Seattle time on Wednesday.

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With qualification completed on Tuesday night, the final sales window opened at 8am PT, operating on a first-come, first-served basis. 

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By lunchtime, Outsports found 38 group-stage games, four round-of-32 games, and one semi-final displayed as having tickets still on sale.

Marked in green were 10 of the group games, with the rest showing as “limited availability.”

The last-minute sales phase is the fourth and final pathway for the general public to purchase tickets via FIFA’s official portal. 

There has been criticism from many fans worldwide over the high ticket prices, but games that may be viewed as less appealing on paper, such as Jordan v Algeria (San Francisco) and Democratic Republic of Congo v Uzbekistan (Atlanta), were among those with seats in the lowest bracket, available at $140.

Egypt v Iran, scheduled for Friday, June 26, had significant availability across three price points — Category 1 at $500, Category 2 at $400, and Category 3 at $180.

Unlike previous random selection draws, fans can now see live seat maps and select specific locations. The Egypt v Iran seat map showed lots of Cat. 3 tickets available in the upper tiers of Lumen Field.

The surge in demand on Wednesday caused immediate bottlenecks, with FIFA implementing a “waiting room” system where users were given just five minutes to enter the site once their countdown expired.

Seattle organizers have created an official Pride Match Day Scarf

Before the draw was made and games allotted to stadiums, the Seattle organizers had assigned the “Pride Match” tag to the June 26 game, as the date falls at the start of the city’s Pride weekend.

After Outsports reported that the game would feature Egypt and Iran, two nations with laws that are either explicitly or ‘de facto’ anti-LGBTQ, the clash became the focus of huge global interest. 

Both national federations have complained to FIFA about the designation by Seattle FWC26, but the local organizers have continued with associated messaging and artwork.

They are also making an official Pride Match Day Scarf available, incorporating a design by artist Kelly Bjork.

The design is one of three chosen by Seattle FWC26, whose Senior VP for Legacy, Hedda McLendon, told Outsports that they symbolize “LGBTQ+ pride, creativity, and the spirit of welcoming the world to Seattle during the FIFA World Cup 2026.”

She explained: “The scarf will be worn and shared by fans during Pride Match Day and related events, giving Kelly’s artwork a visible presence in the stands and throughout the city during one of Seattle’s most meaningful World Cup moments.”

Iran’s participation in the tournament remains in considerable doubt due to the ongoing conflict with the U.S., although FIFA President Gianni Infantino insisted earlier this week that “Team Melli” (as they are known) would fulfil all their matches.

“We want Iran to play, and Iran will play at the World Cup. There is no Plan B, C or D, only Plan A,” said Infantino when attending Tuesday’s friendly victory over Costa Rica held in Antalya, Turkey.

In a little over two months, Iran are due to face New Zealand and Belgium, with both of those matches in Los Angeles, before heading to Seattle for their final Group G game.

If Iran finish second in their group, they would progress to the round of 32 where they would face the runners-up of Group D, which could mean an encounter with the U.S. team.

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The post World Cup Pride Match tickets still available as final sales phase opens appeared first on Outsports.