EXCLUSIVE: From passion to profit and how FIFA is pricing out the true fan

Yet as we look ahead to 2026, there is a growing sense that the atmosphere is being stripped away. Genuine fans are being priced out. The few who can attend will be sitting high up in the gods, far from the pitch, unable to influence the stadium’s energy. Families and younger supporters may simply not be there at all.

My first World Cup final ticket back in 1982 cost just 800 Spanish pesetas – £4.15 at the time. That same price would have bought about 11 matchday pies at Old Trafford. Fast-forward to 2026, and the cheapest general admission ticket for the final is currently $5,785 (£4,325), rising to $11,385. That ‘cheap’ ticket now costs the equivalent of 1,108 Manchester United pies. The increase is more than 1,000 times the original cost. Even accounting for inflation, the ‘real price’ for the cheapest World Cup final ticket is still 242 times higher than in 1982 – staggering.

It’s not just the ticket. Accommodation, flights, transport, parking and stadium add-ons have all soared. Hotels near Arlington Stadium, for example, have increased to three to four times their usual rates for match weeks. A room that might normally cost £150–£200 a night now fetches £600–£800. This isn’t just a price hike – it’s a barrier, narrowing the World Cup audience to those able or willing to pay a premium.