The most expensive World Cup in history.

In the early hours of June 12th (Vietnam time), the 2026 World Cup finals officially kicked off with the opening match between Mexico and South Africa, marking the beginning of more than a month of intense excitement for fans, encompassing 104 matches.

According to supercomputer calculations, a fan could potentially watch a maximum of 32-35 matches at the 2026 World Cup, but I believe very few will reach that milestone. The reason is the sheer scale of the tournament and the geographical distance between cities. Even if you could meticulously plan your travel to the stadiums, the cost would still be a major concern.

The author of the article (on the left) is chatting with a fan of the Argentinian national team.

Ticket prices are the most discussed topic ahead of the tournament. The lowest cost for a 2026 World Cup ticket from the International Football Federation (FIFA) is $50, but the number is extremely limited and reserved only for special groups such as local residents or members of the fan clubs of participating teams. Tickets for the rest will range from a few hundred to several thousand or even tens of thousands of dollars.

Notably, unlike previous World Cups, FIFA this time optimized profits through a flexible ticket pricing policy and a secondary market where those who bought tickets directly from them could resell them to other fans. As a result, there was only a minimum price, not a maximum, for a World Cup ticket.

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FIFA's first-class tickets for the group stage range from $450 to $990, significantly higher than the $220 price tag of the most recent World Cup held in Qatar in 2022. Tickets for the knockout rounds are even more expensive. Previously, the $1,000 price tag for a World Cup ticket was only associated with the finals. But now, you have to spend a similar amount to watch matches like Iraq vs. Norway, or Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay in the group stage.

However, ticket prices are only a small part of the financial challenges for football fans wanting to enjoy the World Cup this summer. Airfare, hotels, train tickets, and many other expenses have also increased significantly. Three months ago, when I planned my World Cup trip, round-trip domestic flights within the US cost only 3-5 million VND, but two weeks before the World Cup, I had to spend 15 million VND for a 2,500km journey from New York to Miami.

Staying in hotels during the World Cup will also be much more expensive than usual. For example, in New York, budget hotels that normally cost around $80-100 are now all increasing in price to $400-500. Football fans with tighter budgets will have to resort to booking a bed in a dormitory (hostel) and accept the risks to their safety and belongings. But even then, they will still have to spend $130-150 per night for this type of temporary accommodation.

And the next financial ordeal for football fans is the cost of traveling to stadiums or Fan Fests. To maximize the appeal of the 2026 World Cup, public transportation agencies in many host cities have increased fares on routes to stadiums on match days. A train ticket from New York to MetLife Stadium was initially announced at $150, then reduced to $98, but it's still considered too expensive.

Once they get to the stadium, another major expense will likely make fans cringe: food and drinks, which are notoriously expensive at stadiums in the US. At last summer's FIFA Club World Cup, a serving of fries at MetLife Stadium cost $8, and a can of beer was $14. In Miami, a fast-food meal—a piece of fried chicken or a slice of pizza—would cost around $20.

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With all the skyrocketing costs mentioned above, the 2026 World Cup will be the most expensive football tournament ever. But expensive as it is, millions of people are still flocking to three North American countries to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of this once-every-four-years event. This shows that the appeal of football—the king of sports— is an enduring one that no other sport can match.

Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/the-thao/worldcup-2026/ky-world-cup-dat-do-nhat-lich-su-1043618