Supporters around the world have expressed anger and disappointment at the cost of attending the 2026 World Cup, saying ticket prices make following their teams impossible for many. The Football Supporters’ Association has described the pricing as a slap in the face for fans, and some group-stage tickets now exceed a month’s wages in poorer nations, before travel and accommodation are added.
Fifa published its latest ticketing policy on Thursday, showing group-stage prices up to three times higher than for Qatar 2022. The cheapest ticket offered for the final is $4,185 (about £3,119). Fifa said it received around five million ticket requests from fans in more than 200 countries within 24 hours of the new sales phase opening.
Prices far outstrip wages in some countries
The expansion to 48 teams, promoted as a way to include smaller nations and spread football fever, has not eased affordability for many supporters. In Haiti, where the average monthly wage is about $147 (£110), the lowest-priced ticket for Haiti’s first match — against Scotland — is $180 (£135). Attending all three group games would cost about $625 (£467), more than four months’ pay for an average Haitian worker.
Ghana faces a similar squeeze. With an average monthly salary near $254 (£190), many Ghanaian fans say they will have to abandon plans to travel. One supporter told the BBC that despite years of saving, fans are being priced out just as their country returns to the tournament.
Costs rise further when travel is included
Following a single team from the group stage to the final would require a substantial outlay in tickets alone — roughly £5,200 at minimum. Add flights and the bill becomes much larger.
For example, an England fan planning to attend group-stage matches might pay about £1,300 for flights from London to Dallas, Boston and New York/New Jersey, plus roughly £526 for the cheapest match tickets. If England progressed and required additional internal flights to Atlanta, Mexico City and Miami, those legs could add about £800, pushing total travel to roughly £2,600 and the combined cost of travel and tickets to around £7,800.
Scotland supporters face comparable figures. Group-stage travel from Glasgow is roughly £1,675 and the lowest ticket tier about £500. If Scotland continued to the final, flights might total about £2,357; with tickets this could bring the overall cost close to £7,567. Many fans say they will delay booking knockout-round flights until qualification is confirmed, when prices for seats and hotels may be considerably higher.
Fans react
Regular attendees and long-time supporters have voiced frustration. Some vow to boycott matches after the group stage; others complain that the tournament is becoming reserved for corporate guests and wealthy travellers rather than everyday fans who have long been the heartbeat of World Cups.
Ticket increases since the bidding process
Host countries must outline ticket pricing in bid documents. When the United States, Mexico and Canada presented their 2017 plan, both organisers and Fifa expected changing global conditions to affect costs, but critics say the current rises go far beyond inflation and pandemic-related pressures.
Some group-stage prices closely match figures in the original bid (for example, Scotland v Haiti is close to the bid price), but the cost of later-stage matches has surged. One mid-tier category for the final that was proposed at $695 (about £520) would, after inflation, be roughly $890 (about £666). Fifa’s current price for that category is $4,185 (£3,119).
How World Cup prices compare with other major US events
By some measures, the final’s cheapest ticket rivals resale prices for the Super Bowl, where secondary-market seats for 2025 began in the region of £3,500–£5,000. Other major events can be much cheaper: NBA Finals tickets in 2024 started from around £52 in the upper tiers, WWE WrestleMania tickets in Las Vegas have ranged from about £250 to £1,000, and face-value pop concert tickets (such as Taylor Swift’s US shows) have typically fallen between about £37 and £335, even if resales pushed some prices far higher.
Supporters’ organisations warn that the combined effect of higher ticket categories and significant travel expenses risks turning the expanded tournament into an event dominated by affluent fans, sponsors and corporate buyers, rather than the diverse, grassroots fanbase that has historically defined the World Cup.
