The $occer World Cup

• The FIFA World Cup will take place in North America this year, and is shaping up to be the most expensive for fans to attend yet.
• Some fans say they are spending thousands of dollars to see the biggest event in sports.
• Business Insider spoke to 8 people about what they are spending and how they plan to make it work.

Worchihan Zingkhai distinctly remembers when he first fell in love with soccer.

It was the 1998 FIFA World Cup, and his whole community in Ukhrul, a small village in India near the Myanmar border, was gathered to watch Italy play Chile on a black-and-white TV.

The game was a tense, back-and-forth that finished 2-2 thanks to a late penalty kick for the Italians.

"That was the beginning of my football journey," Zingkhai said in a recent conversation with Business Insider.

When a plan to visit his in-laws in the US in June this year coincided with the World Cup, attending a game was a no-brainer. The challenge would be getting the tickets.

Zingkhai, a 40-year-old teacher and content creator, said he had wanted to see England, Portugal, or Argentina play. When he tried to buy tickets in February, prices for these games were hundreds of dollars over his budget.

A few months later, during last-minute ticket sales, and after spending three hours in a line, he got the cheapest ticket he could find in Atlanta, close to where he is staying: $140 to see the Czech Republic against South Africa.

"My village [has] about 800 people. When I tell the villagers, I'm going to the World Cup, and the stadium that I'm going to has more than 70,000 people, they cannot believe it," he said.

Zingkhai is among6.5 million fans expected to attend the 2026 World Cup, according to FIFA's estimates.

Between high ticket prices, travel costs, and accommodation expenses, some supporters are spending thousands of dollars and making significant sacrifices to see the biggest event in sports.

It's set to be the most expensive World Cup yet for fans: In April's last-minute sales phase, a ticket to the final cost at least $5,785.

FIFA expects to generate nearly $9 billion in revenue in 2026, part of a projected $13 billion haul for the four-year World Cup cycle ending with this summer's tournament. It generated $7.5 billion over the four-year period from 2019 to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Business Insider spoke to eight peoplefrom around the world about how much they're paying to attend the games and how they are making the trip work.

First came the ticket hunt

High demand to see a World Cup game has led to some complicated processes to secure a ticket.

The tournament starts with the group stage, with 12 groups of four teams. The best-placed teams then move on to the knockout rounds, starting with the Round of 32. Ticket prices increase as the stakes get higher.

Between September and January, FIFA held three ticket sales phases in which fans applied for tickets through a ballot system. Prices then increased by April's "last-minute" phase.

From December, fans could also get tickets through participating member associations, or PMAs, the governing bodies for soccer in each of the countries and territories that qualified for the tournament. The criteria for this varied by PMA, but you typically had to be a loyal supporter with a history of attending games.

FIFA is also using dynamic pricing for this year's World Cup, meaning ticket prices have fluctuated based on demand. In a statement, it said its "variable pricing ticketing approach aligns with industry trends across various sports and entertainment sectors." The practice has drawn criticism from some fans, who have compared it to price gouging.

Fans still looking for a ticket could turn to FIFA's resale marketplace. This has pushed prices higher for the most popular games, but as the tournament draws nearer, there have been some big discounts.

The resale marketplace is largely unregulated, except that citizens of Mexico can only exchange tickets, and people in Ontario can only sell them at face value or lower.

Shriya Agnihotri, a 29-year-old social worker and food content creator from Toronto, was excited when she learned the World Cup would be in North America. The tournament was always a big deal in her family growing up. Now, Agnihotri felt attending a game was finally attainable.

After registering for tickets at the end of last year, she didn't succeed in January's final lottery draw. During last-minute ticket sales in April, after spending six hours in line, the games she was originally interested in turned out to be too expensive.

She ended up buying a Category 1 ticket for Ghana against Panama for 630 Canadian dollars ($454), the highest classification. World Cup tickets are classified into four categories based on the seat location in the stadium.

Alan Talbot, a 61-year-old civil engineer from the UK, who has been to four World Cups in his lifetime, said it has become progressively harder to buy tickets over the years.

"There's just so much competition," he said.

Talbot said he has noticed that a lot of soccer fans on forums have found this the most frustrating tournament to get tickets for. He said that he felt FIFA had deliberately tried to create a sense of FOMO with the different phases this year.

Talbot was unsuccessful in getting tickets in the lottery stages but ultimately secured four tickets on resale and via a friend in the second sales phase. In total, his tickets have cost him and his wife just over $3,100.

Saving for a once-in-a-lifetime event

For some younger fans and those traveling internationally, attending the World Cup has required extensive planning.

23-year-old Mo Faraj, from Boston, opened a dedicated savings account in November to save for the World Cup. As an Iraqi, he was determined to watch his team play its first World Cup since 1986.

Iraq was one of the last countries to qualify for the World Cup, thanks to a nail-biting playoff, so its PMA sales phase took place in April rather than December, as with most others.

First, Faraj bought a Category 1 ticket for Iraq against Senegal at $450 through the FIFA website, and two more tickets via Iraq's PMA: $180 to see Iraq against Norway, and $220 to see it play France — both Category 2 seats.

Iraqi fans have been organizing Facebook and WhatsApp groups to keep costs down, Faraj said.

"Everyone's offering up their places, people are offering free transportation, food — just very, very, very, very generous people," he said. "They're just happy that we're in the World Cup; they'll do anything just to enjoy the moment."

Faraj and his five friends decided to split the cost of Airbnbs. They're also renting a full-size SUV to travel between Boston, Philadelphia, and Toronto and splitting the gas costs. Faraj estimates that his total accommodation spend will be about $1,000 for four nights.

The World Cup takes place in 16 cities across North America, where accommodation costs can vary widely. Atlanta or Guadalajara, for example, are much cheaper than New York City or Los Angeles.

Demand can vary widely between cities, too. Search data from Trivago between January and late April showed demand for accommodation in New York City during the tournament was down 22% year over year, while it doubled for Boston.

For international travelers, Trivago's data showed demand for host cities in Mexico and Canada was up more than 40%, but for US host cities, it grew by 1% during the same period.

Seasoned tournament-goers, like Talbot, booked some of their hotels nearly a year in advance to avoid higher costs.

Others are making sacrifices to be there. Khai Duong, a 28-year-old dental hygienist from Atlanta, told Business Insider he's been putting away $400 a month since the summer to afford the accommodation, rental car, and the tickets he bought for two games. This has meant he has had to postpone a trip to his home country, Vietnam, until next year.

Zingkhai said he earns about 500 Indian rupees a day — roughly $5 to $6. Though his in-laws are largely covering the $2,340 airfare to get from northeast India to the US, the cost of food, merch, and tickets means he's forgoing replacing a broken laptop because he can't afford the extra expense right now.

In a statement, FIFA pointed to its $60 Supporter Entry Tier tickets, which it offered for each of the 104 games. These were allocated for loyal fans, with eligibility criteria decided by each PMA.

Paying for bucket-list matches

For those wanting to see the opening match or final, they have to spend a lot more.

Tickets started at $140 for group-stage matches during April's first open ticket sale. In the same phase, it would cost at least $5,785 to see the final, and nearly $11,000 for a Category 1 seat.

32-year-old Vanessa Jimenez, from Dallas, has spent over $2,000 on one ticket on FIFA's resale portal to attend the opening game between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City.

"That's always kind of been a dream of ours to go to, obviously, either a World Cup final or an opener," Jimenez told Business Insider. "The final would be amazing, of course, but that's even more expensive to attend."

The travel hacks helping fans cut costs

To avoid breaking the bank, fans have been getting creative. Jimenez said she has secured free accommodation in Mexico City through a content partnership.

Faraj is splitting nearly every expense with friends. Others are building community resources to help fellow fans navigate the tournament.

David Nugent, a 31-year-old from Glasgow, has tickets to see Scotland play Brazil in Miami through a work contract. He is currently waiting for prices to drop for Scotland against Haiti in Boston.

"Unless I win the lottery, I'm not buying them," Nugent said. He has created an Instagram page, called @tartanarmyinboston, with a friend to share practical tips on navigating Boston, including a reminder that it's illegal to drink in public, and various deals on hotels.

The city is expectinga large number of Scotsto visit,as the team is playing two of its three group-stage games at the nearby Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts.

Nugent has also planned a boat party for Scotland soccer fans, known as the "Tartan Army." It will be Scotland's first World Cup since 1998.

Mike Teevan, a 46-year-old from Glasgow, took things a step further. After struggling to find reliable transportation information for matchdays, he organized a bus for a group of Scottish supporters.

"It kind of just snowballed from there," Teevan told Business Insider. Through booking agents, he has organized buses for 1,120 fans to keep public transport costs down. Teevan sold bus tickets for between £31 and £45 each ($42 and $60). It costs $90 for a coach ticket between downtown Boston and Gillette Stadium during the tournament, and $80 for a round-trip rail ticket, compared to $20 on an NFL game day.

In the statement to Business Insider, FIFA said it is "focused on ensuring fair access to our game for existing and prospective fans."

It added that it reinvests revenue from the tournament to support the development of men's, women's, and youth soccer around the world.

Though most fans Business Insider spoke to said they believed the prices were high, the overall feeling is one of excitement. Zingkhai said, despite the costs, he's glad he can make it to the World Cup.

"My mom, actually, the other day, told me, 'Oh, so will I see you on television?' You know, like she was so innocent, maybe you will be in the crowd," he said.

"I wish I could get a ticket for England, Portugal, Argentina games, but I mean, I could not afford it, but I'm happy. I'm happy with what I got," he added.

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