Ronaldo-Modric duel sparks frenzy, ticket prices cross $3,000

The highly anticipated World Cup last-32 clash between Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal and Luka Modric's Croatia has triggered a ticket frenzy, with resale market prices soaring past $3,000 ahead of the match.

According to ticket data analytics website TicketData, the average price of the cheapest tickets for the match on resale platforms stood at $3,225 as of Saturday. This makes it the most expensive ticket for any last-32 match at the World Cup.

Portugal advanced to the knockout stage as runners-up from Group K, while Croatia qualified as runners-up from Group L. The two European powerhouses will face off in Toronto on July 3 (Bangladesh time).

The biggest attraction of the match is the meeting of two legends — Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric. After playing together for years at Real Madrid, they will now face each other as opponents in a World Cup knockout match. With this likely being the last World Cup for both veterans, the significance of the match has grown even further.

Analysing data from resale platforms such as StubHub and Vivid Seats, TicketData said ticket prices for this match have more than doubled since Portugal's final group match. One of the reasons for this is FIFA's new dynamic pricing system, where ticket prices automatically increase with demand. Such pricing models have long been used in the US for concerts and major sporting events.

Earlier, an analysis by Reuters noted that the unchecked rise in ticket and accommodation costs is making this World Cup increasingly accessible only to higher-income spectators, potentially reducing the social and economic diversity of the fanbase.

The Ronaldo-Modric showdown has thus become one of the most talked-about matches of the World Cup, both in terms of on-field action and commercial value.