The Ronaldo effect? World Cup ticket prices drop after USA and Portugal pull out

Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo (7) (Photo AP) The quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup are set to kick off this week, but ticket prices for one of the biggest knockout matches have dropped significantly after co-hosts the United States and Portugal were eliminated.According to secondary marketplace TickPick, the buy-in price for Friday’s quarter-final between Spain and Belgium dropped dramatically from around $2,950 to nearly $1,200 on Tuesday afternoon.The sharp drop comes after the United States suffered a 4-1 defeat by Belgium in the round of 16, ending the World Cup co-hosts’ campaign. A potential quarter-final with the home team would probably create much more demand among fans.The departure of Portugal also played a big role in the drop in prices. Spain’s 1-0 win over Portugal not only ended Cristiano Ronaldo’s World Cup career but also eliminated one of the tournament’s biggest global attractions from the knockout stage.A quarter-final with the United States and Portugal was seen as one of the main possibilities for the tournament, with the presence of Ronaldo and the host nation expected to further increase demand for tickets.Meanwhile, France’s quarter-final against Morocco at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough is currently the cheapest last eight fixture on the secondary market. According to TickPick, tickets for the match are available starting at $989.The quarter-finals begin on Friday when France take on Morocco after Didier Deschamps’ side beat Paraguay 1-0 in the round of 16, while Morocco progressed with an emphatic 3-0 win over co-hosts Canada.Spain will face Belgium in the other quarter-final after the Red Devils knocked out the United States 4-1, while Spain remain the only team not to have conceded a goal so far in this year’s tournament.Sunday’s action begins with Erling Haaland’s Nor, who take on Harry Kane’s England, before defending champions Argentina take on Switzerland in the last quarter-final.The final four games will be played at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens and Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, with the winners advancing to next week’s semifinals.