The FIFA World Cup final is finally set, with one of the biggest spectacles in sport set to pit Argentina and Spain against each other. However, the showdown appears to have already reached unprecedented heights off the field and on ticketing apps for footballing reasons and more. According to ticketing app TickPick, this World Cup final is the most expensive sporting event in U.S. history based on average resale price.

“RECORD: The World Cup Final between Spain and Argentina is the MOST expensive sporting event on record at TickPick,” their X post read. “Current get-in price: $7,451. Average Purchase Price: $11,327.”

A single ticket to the final will run you $6,943 to just get in the door, down slightly from the $7,200 or so it cost before Argentina beat England Wednesday afternoon and booked their spot. The average purchase price, per TickPick, is $11,327, and that’s the highest number they’ve ever recorded – more than any other events like the Super Bowl and NBA Finals. And someone’s already paid more than that.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the priciest sale on the books was two seats in MetLife Stadium’s Section 115A — $28,479 each, $56,958 for the pair.

The other three most expensive events by average price in the company’s history are Super Bowl LV in 2021 (Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Kansas City Chiefs) at $7,313, Super Bowl LIV in 2020 (Kansas City Chiefs vs. San Francisco 49ers) at $6,546, and 2026 NBA Finals Game 3 (New York Knicks vs. San Antonio Spurs) at $6,308.

The increase is even more astounding when compared to the semifinals of the same tournament. The cheapest resale ticket for Argentina vs England was just over $2,600, whereas the cheapest resale ticket for France vs Spain was around $1,300. In just a few days, the cost of attending the final has nearly tripled compared to the most expensive semifinal and is more than five times that of the other.

Ticket prices have fluctuated throughout the entire tournament. After the US and Portugal lost to Belgium and Spain, respectively, in the Round of 16, the quarterfinal between the two sides dropped significantly from before the matchup was finalized, likely due to the much higher star power that the game would’ve featured with Cristiano Ronaldo, as well as the US being the home nation in this year’s World Cup.

However, the finals are a different ball game altogether.

Why are the ticket prices so high?

Some reasons for the high ticket prices are as follows.

Spain vs. Argentina is a rare matchup

Spain and Argentina have played just one competitive game against each other. That also came at the World Cup, a whopping 60 years ago. It took place at Birmingham’s Villa Park during the group stages of the 1966 World Cup, where La Albiceleste won 2-1 on the back of a Luis Artime brace.

A Spain win will see them become the seventh nation to win multiple World Cups. Meanwhile, an Argentina win will see them draw level with Italy and Germany on four.

Argentina will look to join an exclusive club

La Albiceleste has joined Brazil as the only team to reach the World Cup finals after having won the previous tournament on two different occasions. Other teams that have done it once include Italy and France. Only the Italian team and the Brazilian team have won the World Cup in back-to-back editions.

Argentina tried previously, but lost 1-0 to West Germany. The possibility of a champion defending its title after 64 years and creating history can drive up prices even more until kickoff.

A potential Lionel Messi swansong

Messi playing his last game is a sentiment that was felt in Rio in 2014. It carried on to the Russia 2018 World Cup as well, and it seemed as though he would retire after winning the World Cup in Qatar. Messi was 27 in 2014, 31 in 2018, and 35 when Argentina won Qatar 2022. Each time, retirement rumors swirled.

Now, at 39, it seems imminent that the game at MetLife can be his final World Cup outing, as he would be 43 by the time the 2030 World Cup kicks off.

The star power in the halftime show

The thirty-minute halftime show has divided the world, but the names that will be performing in New Jersey are major draws that boost ticket demand. Watching the likes of Madonna, Shakira, Justin Bieber, and BTS will be an experience in itself.