The 2026 FIFA World Cup was supposed to be a celebration of football on an unprecedented scale. Instead, many supporters traveling across the United States, Canada, and Mexico say they are facing a different challenge: paying for it.
With soaring ticket prices, expensive flights, inflated hotel rates and sweltering summer temperatures, fans attending the tournament are calling it the costliest World Cup in history.
Outside stadiums and fan zones, supporters described the experience as unforgettable on the field but increasingly difficult on their wallets.
At the New York New Jersey Stadium, where nearly 80,000 fans packed the stands for Brazil's group-stage match against Morocco, supporters joked that the "World Cup fever is burning through bank accounts." Similar complaints echoed across tournament venues as visitors grappled with rising travel expenses.
The contrast was visible elsewhere. While New York drew a near-capacity crowd, attendance at Spain's match against Cape Verde in Atlanta fell short of the stadium's 75,000-seat capacity, with noticeable gaps in the stands despite an announced crowd of about 65,000.
