Fans across the globe are bummed about how expensive it’s become to go to the 2026 World Cup. For many, it feels like they’re being priced out of the game.
The Football Supporters’ Association isn’t happy either, calling the new ticket prices a joke and saying that real fans are being left out of the biggest soccer party on Earth.
Folks from smaller countries, or those without much cash, might have to spend a month’s salary just to see a game in the early rounds. That’s before even thinking about travel and a place to stay. Some fans told the BBC they might have to give up on their dreams of supporting their teams in person.
Fifa dropped the ticket price info on Thursday, and some group stage tickets are going for three times as much as they did at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The cheapest seat at the final will set you back £3,119.
Despite the uproar, FIFA said on Friday that they’re still seeing strong interest, with 5 million ticket requests from fans in over 200 countries in just 24 hours.
Sky-High Ticket Prices vs. Real-World Wages
Back in 2017, when FIFA decided to expand the World Cup to 48 teams, the president at the time, Gianni Infantino, made it sound like it was all about being inclusive.
He said it was a shot for more teams to get in and a chance to be part of something huge. Infantino believed that making it to the World Cup could make a whole country go wild with excitement before the tournament.
But now that the ticket prices are out, that excitement has cooled off. While players will be hitting the field, many fans might have to watch from their couches as ticket prices become too high. In Haiti, for example, the average person makes around $147 (£110) a month.
The cheapest ticket to see Haiti play its first World Cup game in 52 years against Scotland will cost $180 (£135). To attend all three group games, against Brazil and Morocco too, would cost $625 (£467), more than four months’ pay for the average Haitian fan in Ghana, where the average monthly salary is about $254 (£190). A lot of fans are saying they just can’t afford it.
One Ghanaian fan, Jojo Quansah, told the BBC World Service that people who’ve been saving up for years are super disappointed. He mentioned that it’s tough for those who’ve been trying to save money for the last 3.5 years, hoping to experience their first World Cup. He added that FIFA wanted smaller countries to be part of the World Cup, but now it’s become too expensive for those same fans to even watch their teams play. He feels many people will lose their enthusiasm for the next World Cup, which is a shame.
Travel Costs Pile on the Pressure
If you’re thinking about following your team all the way to the final, the ticket prices are just the beginning.
A fan who wants to see every game from the group stage to the final would have to spend at least £5,200 on tickets alone.
Travel adds a huge amount to that cost. For an England fan who wants to see the group-stage games, flights from London to Dallas, then to Boston, New York/New Jersey, and back home would cost around £1,300. The cheapest tickets would add another £526 to their group; getting from Atlanta to Mexico City and then to Miami would be about £800 more. By the end of the tournament, flights alone could cost £2,600, bringing the total cost with tickets to around £7,800.
Scottish fans are looking at similar numbers, with flights from Glasgow for the group stage costing around £1,675 per person, plus at least £500 for the cheapest tickets. If Scotland makes it to the final, travel costs could reach £2,357, bringing the total to around £7,567.
Keep in mind these are just estimates. Since many fans don’t want to book flights for the later rounds until they know their team is in, those costs could go up even more as the games get closer.
Fans Aren’t Happy
Fans in England and Scotland say these prices have completely changed their plans.
Paul Clegg, 61, from Blackburn, said this might be the last World Cup he ever goes to. He’s been to every World Cup since 2014, but now he and his friends are planning to skip the games after the group stage because they feel like soccer is losing its soul.
Anne-Marie Carr, 54, from York, feels the same way, saying all those years of going to England games to get priority for tickets now feel like a waste.
She thinks the 2026 World Cup will be for the rich and sponsors, not for real fans who can’t afford the big matches.
Another fan from Glasgow, Katie, put it very bluntly. She said that these prices aren’t for real fans, but for businesses and sponsors.
Another fan, Ian, from Glenrothes, said the price hikes for flights, hotels, and tickets have led him to decide to stay home. As much as he wants to see his country at a World Cup, he just can’t make it happen.
Prices Way Higher Than Expected
When countries bid to host the World Cup, they have to include information on ticket prices, plans for stadiums, and measures to be eco-friendly. The United States, Mexico, and Canada made their bid in 2017, when the economy was different.
Inflation has made things more expensive since then, but some people think World Cup prices have gone up more than they should have.
The prices for group-stage tickets are pretty close to what was in the bid. For example, the Scotland vs. Haiti tickets at $180 are close to the original estimate of $174.
The really big price jumps are for the later games. Tickets for the final, which were supposed to be $695 (£520), are now going for $4,185 (£3,119).
How World Cup Prices Stack Up in the U.S.
The Super Bowl is still the priciest sporting event in the U.S., with tickets for the 2025 game costing between £3,500 and £5,000 on the resale market.
NBA Finals tickets are much cheaper, with seats in Oklahoma City last year starting at £52. Tickets for WWE WrestleMania in Las Vegas range from £250 to £1,000.
Even Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, which made a boatload of money, usually had tickets between £37 and £335 in the U.S., before any extra charges from resellers.
A World Cup Out of Reach?
As the excitement builds for the bigger, 48-team World Cup, there’s a concern that the tournament might lose what makes it special: the everyday fans who travel to support their teams.
While sponsors, business partners, and wealthy people might fill the stadiums, many lifelong fans are worried they’re being left behind, watching from home as the biggest soccer party becomes increasingly exclusive.
