To put it bluntly, you need money, a lot of money, to immerse yourself in the World Cup atmosphere in the US this summer. Just to give an example, my younger sibling flew to the US, primarily to "check in" for the 2026 World Cup, but after less than a month in New York, they rushed back home because they couldn't afford the living expenses.
At first glance, the ticket prices for fans to watch the 2026 World Cup in the US aren't exactly expensive. But they come with a host of conditions. The "Follow My Team Series" package is specifically for loyal fans who want to follow their favorite national team's every move, in all three group stage matches and one round of 16 match, regardless of the venue. This package applies to all participating teams except the three host nations and includes prime seating, access to the FIFA Pavilion (a waiting area near the stadium), and pre- and post-match entertainment and dining . The starting price for this package is $6,750 per person.
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| VIP room meeting FIFA standards. Photo: FIFA |
Additionally, there's the Venue Series package, which allows you to attend 4-9 matches at your favorite stadium, with premium seating, access to a Private Suite, Pitchside Lounge, and VIP reception services. Even better, this package includes the 2026 World Cup final at Metlife Stadium (New York) on July 19th. This package starts at $8,275 per person.
Ironically, ticket prices are not fixed. The organizers will adjust the prices depending on the situation. Of course, prices only go up; there's no such thing as a "sale off." Fans even have the right to buy tickets on the black market, on social media, etc. On average, tickets for group stage matches at the 2026 World Cup cost around $1,450 each. To resell tickets, fans usually have to pay double the original price. In the US before the 2026 World Cup, there's a relatively "hot" profession: hunting for World Cup tickets and reselling them to those who want them. The governments in Mexico, Canada, and the US don't prohibit this, so if a US citizen is lucky enough to buy 10 tickets (in fact, many people buy more than 10), they can easily earn tens of thousands of dollars.
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| And here's a super VIP room at the 2026 World Cup. Photo: FIFA |
This is just about tickets, but the issue of catering to the super-rich is also worth discussing. It started with the 2022 World Cup in Qatar—a tiny country in the Gulf—which showed the world what the ultra-VIP standard is like at the World Cup.
With the arrogant aura of exclusivity, the red carpet entrance for VIPs, adorned with velvet ribbons at the Al Bayt Stadium (Doha), seemed designed to inspire both fear and envy—a memory many millionaires and billionaires surely still cherish. That pathway was reserved for VIPs—important figures who could sense the coveted attention of the masses upon seeing the red carpet laid out at the stadium. It was a path of privilege, and perhaps also of geopolitical bargaining and discussion.
Because the number of millionaires and billionaires is increasing, the organizers of the 2022 and 2026 World Cups have created a VIP tier system for convenience and also as a way to maximize revenue. This led to the creation of VVIP and VVVIP tiers. If VIP is like a 5-star hotel, then VVIP is equivalent to a 6-star hotel, while VVVIP represents an "exceptionally high" standard.
The entrances to stadiums reserved for the elite are always clearly marked so that ordinary people can easily identify them. They are enclosed by barriers and cut off from the regular road system. The entrances for VVIPs include a helipad, an entourage, a host of models, and a fleet of luxury cars waiting to transport these VIPs directly to their exclusive area inside the stadium.
At the 2026 World Cup, a gathering of entities overflowing with luxury and privilege, in the United States, under President D. Trump, it seems to always serve as a reminder: You always receive special privileges, even higher than VIP status, as long as you have enough fame and money.
According to Match Hospitality, FIFA's partner in providing VIP and VVIP services for the 2022 World Cup, there are five levels of service in the stadiums. The first level consists of seats costing $1,000, serving fans street food. Higher up are private suites priced at $4,000-$5,000 per person, offering 6-8 course meals prepared by a private chef… The most luxurious are the Private Suites, 5-star standard rooms reserved for the fifth level. The host nation, the USA, will simply carry over these five levels to the 2026 World Cup. Of course, in an era of rising prices and high oil costs, the prices for these different levels of football enjoyment will increase exponentially.
Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/the-thao/worldcup-2026/vip-va-cao-hon-ca-vip-o-world-cup-1044201
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