Here’s what the ticket market is saying about World Cup matches in Kansas City

Here’s some good news for any local soccer fan who wants to attend one of the six FIFA World Cup matches that will be played over the next month in Kansas City: Tickets remain available for all of them at face value.

But they aren’t cheap.

Anyone who catches World Cup fever after the tournament gets underway later this week will have to decide how much they are willing to spend in order to attend a match.

The lowest get-in price for next week’s clash between Argentina and Algeria is currently listed at $625 by FIFA. On Monday afternoon, anyone with a FIFA account could log into the association’s ticket site, wait 30 minutes in an online queue and then purchase a limited number of tickets at that price.

Tickets were for sale at $625 in four different sections of the Kansas City Stadium (aka GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium) — 128, 129, 321 and 327. Hospitality (VIP) tickets were also available for $2,200.

The cheapest get-in price on the secondary market is floating around $850.

Based on ticket availability, it seems likely that match will be the most highly attended contest during group play in Kansas City.

Only a handful of tickets appear to remain unsold for the match that will feature Lionel Messi and the defending World Cup champions. But hundreds of tickets remain on sale for Ecuador vs. Curacao, Netherlands vs. Tunisia and Austria vs. Algeria.

Tickets for those matches can be found from $380 to $500 on FIFA’s site, with seats available in more than 40 sections.

Only a few tickets remain at face value for the knockout games in Kansas City.

The scarcity of remaining tickets for those matches indicates that Kansas City should expect strong attendance throughout the World Cup, even if some matches fall a tiny bit short of a sellout.

But tickets will remain available on the secondary market, even if FIFA sells all of its tickets. A look at Seat Geek reveals that get-in prices for most matches are lower on the ticketing app than they are through FIFA.

The cheapest ticket for any of the Kansas City group games on Seat Geek is currently $220 for Austria vs. Algeria. That is almost half the price of most face value tickets for the match.

Prices could fluctuate drastically between now and the end of the month. They may go up. They may go down.

For now, a limited number of seats remain at a fixed price.

Argentina vs Algeria

When: June 16

Cheapest ticket: $625 (limited availability through FIFA)

Secondary market: $858 to $3,961 (based on 441 listings on Seat Geek)

Analysis: This figures to be the most popular match of the group stage in Kansas City. Lionel Messi and the Argentina national team both have a huge number of supporters across the globe. People will likely be willing to spend more than usual to watch this match.

Ecuador vs. Curacao

When: June 20

Cheapest ticket: $400 (limited availability through FIFA)

Secondary market: $351 up to $1,997 (based on 362 listings on Seat Geek)

Analysis: Good seats remain in 48 sections. This match may not be a true sellout, given that tickets are available for under face value on the secondary market.

Netherlands vs. Tunisia

When: June 25

Cheapest ticket: $400 (limited availability through FIFA)

Secondary market: $319 up to $1,886 (based on 400 listings at Seat Geek)

Analysis: Tickets are available for face value in more than 40 sections. It will be interesting to see if Dutch fans, who usually travel well for the World Cup, gobble up those seats or wait and shop on the secondary market.

Austria vs. Algeria

When: June 27

Cheapest ticket: $380 (limited availability through FIFA)

Secondary market: $220 up to $413 (based on 455 listings at Seat Geek)

Analysis: This figures to be the most accessible of all the Kansas City matches. One section still has 150 tickets available.

Round of 32

When: July 3

Cheapest ticket: $510 (limited availability through FIFA)

Secondary market: $727 up to $2,700 (based on 906 listings on Seat Geek)

Analysis: Ticket prices will be unpredictable for this game until we learn which teams will be playing in this round of the knockout stage.

Quarterfinals

When: July 11

Cheapest ticket: $1,350 (limited availability through FIFA)

Secondary Market: $1,858 up to $6,600 (based on 794 listings at Seat Geek)

Analysis: This match won’t be cheap, unless a pair of underdog teams advance this far on the bracket.

Kellis Robinett

The Wichita Eagle

Kellis Robinett covers Kansas State athletics for The Wichita Eagle and The Kansas City Star. A winner of more than a dozen national writing awards, he lives in Manhattan with his wife and four children.