CAT 3 vs. CAT 1: Getting The Best Bang For Your Buck

Every tournament ticket price you've seen this year has been a CAT1 number. The premium seats. The lower bowl, midfield, close-to-the-pitch tickets that drive the big headlines.

But most fans don't care about sitting in Row 12. They want to be in the building. They want the atmosphere, the crowd, the ninety minutes of live tournament football. And for that, there's a completely different price tier that almost nobody is talking about.

We track get-in prices — the cheapest available seat for every match — across multiple secondary market platforms. And the numbers paint a very different picture than the CAT1 headlines suggest.

24 matches are currently priced under $500 at the get-in level. Six are under $300. The cheapest is $145.

Here's the full breakdown.

Under $300: The Floor

Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia — Houston, $145

The absolute cheapest ticket to any 2026 tournament match. NRG Stadium, 72,000 seats, full tournament production — for the price of a decent dinner for two. Even the CAT1 price for this match ($287) is a bargain, but at $145 you're paying less than a regular-season MLS ticket in most cities.

Jordan vs Algeria — San Francisco, $218

Levi's Stadium for $218. San Francisco set high ticket prices originally, and the market has overcorrected hard at the get-in level. This is premium Silicon Valley real estate for the price of a Costco run.

Austria vs Jordan — San Francisco, $238

Another Levi's Stadium match for under $240. Two San Francisco group matches under $240 — if you live in the Bay Area, you can attend both for less than $460 combined.

Curaçao vs Ivory Coast — Philadelphia, $268

African champions at Lincoln Financial Field for $268. Ivory Coast won AFCON 2024 and have Premier League talent across the squad. This is genuinely good football at a throwaway price.

DR Congo vs Uzbekistan — Atlanta, $279

Mercedes-Benz Stadium — one of the best venues in the country — for $279. Atlanta keeps showing up as a value city, and at get-in pricing the discounts are even steeper than CAT1.

Morocco vs Haiti — Atlanta, $311

Here's the thing about get-in pricing: the CAT1 price for this match is $515. At get-in, it's $311. That's $204 less — and you're still watching AFCON-caliber Morocco in a world-class dome. That gap is the whole point of this post.

$300 - $400: Still Serious Value

Iran vs New Zealand — LA, $312

SoFi Stadium — the $5 billion palace — for $312. The CAT1 price is $405. This match is underpriced at every level, and at get-in you're saving nearly $100 compared to premium seats.

Egypt vs Iran — Seattle, $324

Mo Salah at Lumen Field for $324. The CAT1 for this match is $517 — so at get-in pricing, you're saving nearly $200 and still seeing one of the biggest names in world football.

Uruguay vs Cape Verde — Miami, $352

Here's a surprise: at CAT1 ($530), this is one of Miami's pricier group stage matches. But at the get-in level, it's $352. Darwin Nunez and Federico Valverde at Hard Rock Stadium, if you're willing to sit upper deck.

Algeria vs Austria — Kansas City, $355

Arrowhead Stadium for $355. The CAT1 for this match is $535. The get-in price tells a completely different story for budget fans.

Czechia vs South Africa — Atlanta, $373

Atlanta's third entry on this list. At CAT1 ($512) it's a different tier entirely. At get-in, it's $373. Mercedes-Benz Stadium's upper bowl seats still have great sightlines thanks to the retractable roof design.

Turkey vs Paraguay — San Francisco, $373

San Francisco's third appearance under $400 at get-in pricing. At CAT1 ($598) this match runs nearly $600. At get-in, it's $373. That's a $225 gap.

Belgium vs Iran — LA, $383

Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, and Belgium's golden generation at SoFi Stadium for $383. This might be the best star-power-per-dollar in the entire tournament at get-in pricing. The CAT1 runs $546.

Germany vs Curaçao — Houston, $395

Germany — a perennial contender — at NRG Stadium for under $400. The CAT1 is $618. At get-in, you're seeing a top-10 national team for $223 less than premium seats.

$400 - $500: The Wider Net

Paraguay vs Australia — San Francisco, $405

Levi's Stadium again. San Francisco now has four matches under $410 at get-in pricing. If you're building a multi-match Bay Area trip, the math is absurd.

Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay — Miami, $417

The cheapest way into Hard Rock Stadium. Saudi Arabia pulled off one of the biggest upsets in tournament history against Argentina in 2022. At $417 for get-in, this is Miami tournament football without the Miami premium.

Norway vs Senegal — NYC, $448

Erling Haaland vs Sadio Mane in New York for $448. The CAT1 price is $791. At get-in, you're saving $343 and still watching two of the most marketable players on the planet. Nobody needs to know what section you were in.

Netherlands vs Sweden — Houston, $462

The Oranje at NRG Stadium for $462. This is the cheapest way to see the Netherlands, who run $799 at CAT1 in Houston. At get-in, you save over $300.

Belgium vs Egypt — Seattle, $469

De Bruyne and Salah on the same pitch for $469. Two Premier League icons. The CAT1 is $656. At get-in, you're getting star power that would cost nearly $200 more in premium seats.

The Get-In vs CAT1 Gap

This is the key insight most price coverage misses. Here are some of the biggest savings:

If your budget matters more than your row number, you're shopping in a completely different market.

The Get-In Playbook

If you just want to be in the stadium, here's what the data says:

Cheapest single ticket: Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia in Houston ($145). Tournament football for less than a decent pair of sneakers.

Best value city: San Francisco. Four matches under $410 at get-in pricing. Bay Area fans can build a two- or three-match trip for what one CAT1 ticket costs elsewhere.

Best star power on a budget: Belgium vs Iran in LA ($383). De Bruyne and Belgium's best squad in a decade at SoFi Stadium.

Best value you'd actually brag about: Norway vs Senegal in NYC ($448). Haaland vs Mane for under $450. The CAT1 is $791. You save $343.

Best two-match trip: Both San Francisco Group F matches ($218 + $238 = $456). Jordan vs Algeria and Austria vs Jordan for a combined $456. Two tournament matches, same city.

Track Get-In Prices

We track get-in, CAT2, and CAT1 prices for all 80 US-hosted matches, updated weekly. Set up alerts and we'll let you know when any match drops to a price you're willing to pay.

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See live pricing for every match at TicketIntelligence.net.

Get-in prices reflect the cheapest available ticket on the secondary market as of March 2026. Includes all seating categories across StubHub, SeatGeek, and other major platforms. All prices are for individual tickets.

Data source: TicketIntelligence secondary market tracker, updated weekly.

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