'Daylight robbery but worth it' - what fans are spending
BBC News 2026-06-16 10:08:20
Context: The 2026 World Cup has seen fans from various countries, including Norway, the UK, and Mexico, spending significant amounts on tickets, flights, hotels, and other expenses. Many fans have expressed that the high costs are worth it for the once-in-a-lifetime experience of attending the World Cup. The expenses have varied greatly depending on the location, with fans in Mexico City paying up to $4,000 or more for a single ticket.
Key Facts
- Morten Oftedal, a Norwegian fan, spent about $3,600 in cash and points for himself, his father, and his wife to attend one match, purchasing three tickets for $380 apiece and using 180,000 frequent flyer points for round-trip flights from Atlanta to Boston.
- Iain Bagwell, a 58-year-old Brit living in Atlanta, paid about $1,200 for each of his category 2 tickets to see England v Croatia in Dallas, Texas, and plans to drive to Kansas City to watch Tunisia battle the Netherlands for $235 per ticket.
- Alisa and Admir Maric spent around CAD$5,400 for their trip to Toronto, including tickets to watch Bosnia and Herzegovina play against Canada for CAD$1,250 apiece, hotel costs of $600 a night, and flights for $1,150 per person.
- Aaron Vieyra, a Mexican fan, paid 30,000 pesos ($1,750) for each of his two tickets to the opening game against South Africa, which he considered worth it but only just, as the ticket price alone was equivalent to three months' rent for many residents of Mexico City.
- The price of food and drink inside the stadiums varies, with fans paying $16 for an American beer at the New York New Jersey Stadium and $5 for a water, while at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, a US beer costs $5 for a small and $9 for a large, with water priced at $3.