Sports
Skyrocketing costs turn 2026 World Cup into luxury experience
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.
Heat adds to the challenge
The financial burden is not the only concern.
The tournament has also become one of the hottest World Cups in recent memory, with many matches being played in temperatures exceeding 30 Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit).
Fans gathering at outdoor viewing areas have been forced to seek shade wherever possible, relying on hats, umbrellas and cooling stations to escape the relentless summer sun.
Hotel prices surge
Accommodation costs have emerged as one of the biggest frustrations for traveling supporters.
In many host cities, hotel rates have doubled or even tripled during the tournament period. Budget travelers have found little relief, with average nightly rates at two- and three-star hotels frequently exceeding 300 euros ($340).
In major destinations such as New York, Miami, Dallas and Los Angeles, accommodation prices have reportedly risen by as much as 300% compared with normal periods.
Luxury hotels have become even less accessible, with many four- and five-star properties charging more than $500 per night. Short-term rental prices have also climbed sharply as demand continues to outstrip supply.
Expensive flights
Travel costs have also surged as fans move between the tournament’s 16 host cities.
For international visitors, the vast distances involved in a North American World Cup have created significant additional expenses.
Many participating nations are located thousands of miles from the host countries, resulting in longer journeys and higher airfare prices.
Domestic flights within the United States have also become considerably more expensive.
Industry estimates indicate increases ranging between 50 and 100% compared with last year, with routes into popular destinations such as Miami seeing some of the sharpest rises.
Ticket prices reach record levels
Nothing has sparked more criticism than the cost of match tickets.
Group-stage tickets at the 2026 World Cup average around $400, roughly five times higher than comparable prices at the 2022 tournament in Qatar, where group-stage tickets generally cost less than $100 and ranged between $11 and $220.
The increase becomes even more dramatic for marquee matches.
Opening-match tickets start at $560 and climb to $2,735, compared with a range of $55 to $618 in Qatar four years ago.
The final, scheduled for New York New Jersey Stadium, carries an even steeper premium. The cheapest ticket costs $2,030, while the most expensive reaches $6,370.
By comparison, tickets for the 2022 World Cup final ranged from $206 to $1,607.
Fans’ groups challenge FIFA
The growing frustration has attracted the attention of supporter organizations.
The Football Supporters Europe filed a complaint with the European Commission before the tournament, accusing FIFA of imposing excessive prices, unfair purchasing conditions and abusing its dominant position in the ticketing market.
The organization argued that access to World Cup tickets should be fair and transparent, particularly for supporters who may only have one opportunity in their lives to attend the tournament.
“A festival for the rich”
For fans hoping to follow their team throughout the competition, the numbers are staggering.
A supporter attending matches from the group stage through the final could spend more than $7,000 on tickets alone. Once flights and accommodation are added, the total cost can be several times higher than the expense of attending the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Many fans have responded with a common complaint.
“This is no longer football’s festival,” one supporter said. “It’s a festival for the rich.”
Even Donald Trump weighed in on the debate, expressing surprise at some ticket prices.
“More than $1,000 for a ticket,” Trump said. “I wouldn’t pay that.”
England begin their 2026 World Cup campaign in Arlington on Wednesday, opening Group L against Croatia at AT&T Stadium under manager Thomas Tuchel, with expectations and scrutiny following them across the Atlantic.
For England national football team, this tournament represents another attempt to end a 60-year wait for a senior global title, a drought that still defines every major cycle despite youth-level triumphs in recent years.
Their qualification campaign was flawless, finishing with eight wins and eight clean sheets to become the first UEFA side to secure a place at the 2026 finals.
But momentum has not been entirely stable. Mixed results in March friendlies against Uruguay and Japan, including a first-ever defeat to an Asian opponent, exposed some early uncertainty in Tuchel’s setup.
Even a late Harry Kane intervention against New Zealand did little to settle concerns, though a more settled lineup later eased past Costa Rica in their final warm-up.
England’s record in World Cup openers offers encouragement.
They have lost only one of their last eight, a 2-1 defeat to Italy in 2014, and have won their last two tournament openers against Tunisia and Iran. Still, history at the World Cup level has often resisted their claims of inevitability.
Across the pitch, Croatia national football team arrive with a reputation built on consistency at the highest level.
Under Zlatko Dalic, they have secured podium finishes at both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, along with a Nations League runners-up campaign, establishing themselves as one of international football’s most resilient tournament sides.
Yet recent form has been uneven.
A winless Euro 2024 group stage exit marked their poorest major tournament showing in nearly two decades, even as their World Cup qualifying campaign remained steady, dropping just two points to top their group comfortably.
Pre-tournament friendlies reflected that inconsistency, with defeats to Brazil and Belgium followed by a late win over Slovenia.
The emotional reference point between these sides still lingers in Croatia’s 2018 semifinal victory over England, decided by Mario Mandzukic’s extra-time strike, a moment that shifted the trajectory of Croatian football history.
Team news adds another layer of uncertainty for England. Bukayo Saka is a fitness doubt, potentially forcing adjustments in wide areas.
Noni Madueke is in contention to start on the right, while Anthony Gordon is expected to feature on the opposite flank, with Marcus Rashford likely to begin on the bench.
In midfield, Jude Bellingham is expected to hold the No. 10 role ahead of Morgan Rogers, while defensive combinations involving John Stones, Ezri Konsa and Marc Guehi remain under evaluation in front of goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
Croatia, by contrast, arrive with a fully available squad and their established core intact. Luka Modric and Ivan Perisic continue to anchor their experience, while Andrej Kramaric remains a consistent attacking outlet.
In attack, MLS form could influence selection, with Dallas forward Petar Musa pushing for a starting role after a strong run in 2026. At the back, Josko Gvardiol leads a defence also featuring rising talent Luka Vuskovic, adding a blend of experience and youth to Croatia’s structure.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup has turned football’s biggest stage into its most demanding logistical test yet, with 48 teams spread across Canada, Mexico and the United States navigating long distances, shifting climates and four time zones in pursuit of glory.
Unlike compact tournaments of the past, the expanded format has forced squads into constant movement, with FIFA assigning regional clusters to reduce travel strain. Still, for many teams, recovery time, flight schedules and environmental changes are proving as decisive as tactics on the pitch.
Türkiye feel the strain in the north
Türkiye head coach Vincenzo Montella pointed to the realities of the format after his side’s 2-0 opening loss to Australia in Vancouver.
With the squad based in Arizona, roughly 1,200 miles from their opening venue, Montella highlighted the toll of overnight travel and limited recovery time.
After the match, he noted the team would return to base in the early hours before restarting preparations, stressing that adaptation was essential in a tournament defined by scale rather than convenience. His message was blunt: conditions cannot be changed, only managed.
Czechia caught in constant motion
Czech Republic have faced one of the most demanding travel schedules, operating out of a Dallas-area base while crossing borders repeatedly for group-stage matches.
Their itinerary has included trips to Guadalajara, a return to Texas, a planned stop in Atlanta and another journey back to Mexico. The physical and mental strain has been immediate.
Coach Miroslav Koubek said the setup was far from ideal after a 2-1 loss to South Korea, but acknowledged teams must accept the structure and focus on results rather than conditions.
Newcomers face the longest miles
Debutants Curacao are among the most heavily burdened, expected to cover about 5,300 miles round trips while moving between a Florida base and matches in Houston, Kansas City and Philadelphia.
Bosnia and Herzegovina face a similar challenge, with an estimated 5,200 miles of travel from a Utah base across venues in Toronto, Los Angeles and Seattle.
The spread highlights the scale of a tournament stretching across North America’s vast geography, from the Pacific Northwest to the Gulf of Mexico and from Canada’s largest cities to central Mexico.
Hosts gain partial advantage
Even host nations are not fully insulated from the strain.
Canada have already logged long domestic flights, including a roughly five-hour journey between Toronto and Vancouver.
United States teams are also covering significant ground between training bases in California and matches on both coasts, though within a more predictable rotation.
Mexico hold a relative edge, with domestic travel kept under about 600 miles across venues.
Contenders on uneven footing
Among favorites, fixture placement is shaping expectations as much as form.
England face one of the most demanding schedules, based in Kansas City while rotating between Dallas, Boston and New York.
Spain are also on the move, traveling from an Atlanta base to matches in Mexico.
Meanwhile, finalists from the last edition benefit from tighter setups. Argentina are based in Kansas City, while France operate out of Boston, limiting disruption compared with many rivals.
Climate adds another layer
Distance is only part of the challenge. Heat, humidity and altitude are shaping performance across venues.
South Korea have remained within Mexico for their group stage but must adjust to altitude in cities such as Mexico City and Guadalajara. Coach Hong Myung-bo said preparations helped, though fatigue still surfaced late in matches.
In the United States, heat and humidity in cities such as Houston, Dallas and Miami have already drawn criticism. Brazil forward Vinícius Júnior pointed to dry pitches and heavy conditions after a match in New Jersey, saying players must adapt to a rhythm disrupted by weather.
FIFA has long anticipated the logistical burden of staging a 48-team World Cup across three countries, grouping teams geographically where possible. But the sheer scale means travel, recovery and adaptation are now central to performance.
Earlier editions offered mixed lessons. Qatar’s compact format removed travel stress entirely, while Russia and Brazil still required long internal journeys. The 2026 edition pushes that challenge further than ever before.
Substitute Romelu Lukaku made an immediate impact as Belgium came from behind to secure a 1-1 draw against Egypt at the World Cup on Monday, helping create the move that led to the equalizer moments after entering the match.
Lukaku came on in the 66th minute with Belgium trailing 1-0. He ran down the middle of the field and lurched to tap a cross from the right into the net, but Egypt defender Mohamed Hany did that instead, scoring an own-goal.
The equalizing goal came only 23 seconds after Lukaku came on the field.
Emam Ashour had put the Egyptians ahead in the 19th minute with his first international goal.
Ashour, a midfielder who was playing in his 30th game for his country, took advantage of a defensive breakdown to give Egypt only its second lead in World Cup match. The Egyptians, who are playing in their fourth World Cup, still have never won a game at the tournament.
Belgium failed to advance past the group stage at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and has not won any of its last three matches in the tournament.
Egypt had numerous chances to increase its lead but could not put the Red Devils away. Lukaku and teammate Kevin De Bruyne also had an abundance of opportunities to take the lead.
Lewis Hamilton delivered a landmark drive at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix on Sunday, capturing his first victory for Ferrari and ending Kimi Antonelli’s five-race winning streak in a dramatic swing in the 2026 title fight.
The seven-time world champion, now 41, became Formula One’s oldest winner since Jack Brabham in 1970 and secured his 106th career victory in a race that blended strategy, attrition and timing. It was also Ferrari’s first win since 2024 and Hamilton’s first triumph since Belgium last year, breaking a 41-race drought that dated back to his final season with Mercedes.
Antonelli, the 19-year-old Mercedes sensation and championship leader, looked in control of second place before a late electrical failure forced retirement with five laps remaining. The setback cut his championship lead over Hamilton to 41 points after seven rounds and marked Mercedes’ first defeat of the season.
George Russell salvaged second for Mercedes after briefly losing track position late in the race, while McLaren’s reigning champion Lando Norris completed the podium. It was the first all-British top three since the 1968 United States Grand Prix, a rare historical echo on a modern stage.
Hamilton crossed the line 19.561 seconds clear of Russell after a race defined by Ferrari’s aggressive strategy calls and a well-timed virtual safety car triggered by Fernando Alonso’s late retirement. That intervention allowed Hamilton to take a cheap third stop and return on fresher tyres, a decisive move that sealed the win.
“Grazie a tutti a Maranello,” Hamilton said over team radio. “You’ve helped me achieve this dream.” Moments later, visibly emotional, he described the victory as something he had long imagined while watching Ferrari as a young fan.
The result also marked a symbolic turnaround in a season that had already seen Hamilton rediscover form after a difficult 2025 campaign. With three straight podiums, including two seconds before this win, his move to Ferrari is gaining momentum after early doubts within and outside the team.
Behind the podium fight, Max Verstappen finished fourth for Red Bull, followed by Oscar Piastri in fifth and Isack Hadjar in sixth. Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto initially finished seventh and eighth for Alpine, but Colapinto dropped to 10th after a 10-second penalty for failing to slow under yellow flags, promoting the Racing Bulls pair Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc retired with a suspected power steering issue while running in contention for a top-five finish, compounding a mixed day for the team despite Hamilton’s breakthrough.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff acknowledged the threat his former driver now poses in the title race, warning that once Hamilton gains momentum, he is difficult to stop.
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur, however, urged restraint, rejecting early championship talk and stressing consistency over speculation as the season develops.
Japan supporters left the stands spotless after their World Cup opener against the Netherlands in Texas on Sunday, saying the practice reflects a deeply rooted cultural habit of tidying up after themselves.
After a 2-2 draw, fans remained in the stadium, carefully collecting litter and placing it in blue plastic bags, leaving the venue as clean as they had found it.
The behavior, learned early in primary school, is driven by a sense of collective responsibility, Japan fan Eita Tanaka told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
“We have to think about everyone,” said the 20-year-old, dressed in Japan’s blue shirt and holding a beer and several cups.
“In Japan, we are taught that when we use a place, we should leave it cleaner than when we arrived. For example, in school classrooms, we tidy up without being told by a teacher.”
Japan are making their eighth consecutive World Cup appearance, and their supporters’ post-match cleanups have become a familiar feature of their presence on soccer’s biggest stage.
NFL quarterback Jameis Winston was even seen joining the cleanup after Sunday’s game, wearing a blue Japan shirt with his name on the back.
Japan fan Futo Hagiwara said he was proud the behavior of his countrymen had been recognized in a positive light.
“This is our culture, which means everywhere we go we clean up after ourselves. It is our spiritual way, our attitude,” he said.
Sociologist and philosopher Masachi Ohsawa believes a mix of social responsibility and peer pressure is behind the fans’ behavior.
“While Japanese people tend not to take much interest in justice on a large scale, issues like global inequality, conflict or climate change, they are extremely sensitive to moral considerations on a smaller scale,” he said.
“When it comes to people they share the same space with or have direct personal contact with, they feel a strong desire not to cause them trouble or make them uncomfortable.”
School of life
Cleaning chores are part of Japanese education from an early age, with children often scrubbing floors and tables at school each day.
Public waste bins are scarce in the country, and people are expected to take their rubbish home.
Getting rid of household waste can be a complex task that involves separating rubbish into different categories.
Scott North, an emeritus professor of sociology at the University of Osaka, said he and his neighbors get together twice a year to pull out weeds and rake up cuttings.
He said such groups are organized into leaders and followers and operate in a similar way to Japanese football supporters.
“Since everyone comes together, there’s an expectation that they’ll act as a group,” said North, an American who has lived in Japan for about 40 years.
“And when the leaders bring out the bags and say, ‘Here you go,’ nobody is going to say no.”
Sociologist Ohsawa said such behavior could be explained by what Japanese people refer to as “reading the air.”
“In Japan, even if one person starts picking up litter, those around them feel they simply cannot help but join in,” he said.
“That’s because if they don’t, the people they are with will think they are a bad person.”
He said peer pressure is a powerful social force.
“In this case, the primary motivation is not so much a desire to keep the stadium clean or avoid causing trouble for stadium workers,” he said.
“It is more a desire not to be seen as a nuisance within one’s own group.”
Whatever the reasons, Japan’s fans will continue tidying up as long as their team remains in the tournament.
Their next game is against Tunisia in Mexico on Saturday, and Hagiwara said he is happy to keep leading by example.
“We usually don’t tell children they should do it,” he said.
“We just show our actions and behavior, and other people follow.”
France and Senegal open Group I in East Rutherford on Tuesday in a meeting shaped as much by history as by present-day ambition, bringing together a reigning powerhouse still chasing total dominance and an African giant intent on proving its place among the elite once again.
The fixture carries a deep historical charge that still lingers in World Cup memory.
Senegal’s 1-0 win over France in the 2002 opener remains one of the tournament’s defining shocks, a result that derailed the defending champions and announced the arrival of the Lions of Teranga on football’s biggest stage.
More than two decades later, the roles are different but the psychological undertow remains.
France arrive as one of the tournament favorites again, while Senegal step in as a respected contender with enough pedigree and resilience to trouble anyone on a given night.
France’s path to the tournament has been defined by control and efficiency.
Didier Deschamps’ side eased through qualification, dropping just two points and extending a remarkable run of eight straight World Cup appearances, a stretch that has also produced four final appearances in the last seven editions.
The French project under Deschamps has been built on structure and tournament reliability, and this edition adds a final layer of narrative as he prepares to step down after the competition, with Zinedine Zidane waiting to take over.
Deschamps’ legacy is already unmatched in French football history, a World Cup winner as both player and manager, but he now stands on the brink of an individual milestone.
With 14 World Cup match wins, he is closing in on Helmut Schön’s all-time record of 16, a mark that would place him alone at the top of managerial achievement in the tournament’s modern era if France navigate another deep run.
On the pitch, France remain defined by depth and firepower. A brief setback in a friendly loss to Ivory Coast raised questions, but a sharp response against Northern Ireland reinforced their attacking rhythm, continuing a trend of scoring multiple goals in nine of their last 10 matches.
Kylian Mbappe remains the focal point, arriving just one goal shy of Olivier Giroud’s all-time France scoring record, a landmark that could fall during the tournament.
Around him, France’s attacking options and midfield control continue to make them one of the most complete squads in international football.
There is also defensive reassurance. William Saliba, briefly a doubt after back issues following the Champions League final, has returned to full training. Jules Kounde is available despite a minor strain, while Mike Maignan’s brief absence from training was attributed to workload management rather than injury concern. The core of France’s structure remains intact at a crucial moment.
Senegal enter with a different kind of momentum, less about dominance and more about resilience and continuity.
Undefeated in qualification, they return for a third consecutive World Cup, building on a progression that saw a group stage exit in Russia followed by a round of 16 appearance in Qatar.
Sandwiched between those campaigns is their 2021 Africa Cup of Nations triumph, a reminder of their capacity to convert potential into silverware, even as debates linger around their standing in continental football after recent rulings and appeals involving CAF decisions.
Under Pape Thiaw, Senegal carry both tactical discipline and emotional weight.
Their preparations have been uneven, with a narrow defeat to the United States and a goalless draw with Saudi Arabia ending a long scoring streak, but their defensive record remains strong, highlighted by multiple clean sheets in recent matches.
The draw also snapped a 17-match run of scoring in all competitions, underlining how dependent they can be on moments of individual quality when collective rhythm stalls.
Thiaw’s connection to this fixture runs deeper than tactics. He was part of the Senegal squad that defeated France in 2002, an experience that still defines one of African football’s landmark nights.
Now he leads a team built around Sadio Mane, fully fit after missing the 2022 World Cup through injury and still central to Senegal’s attacking identity.
His presence restores a sense of balance and threat that Senegal have often lacked when transitioning against elite opponents.
There are minor fitness concerns within the squad, though none expected to derail selection. Assane Diao and Idrissa Gueye have been managed carefully, while Cherif Ndiaye’s availability has been uncertain, leaving selection decisions in attack finely balanced, with Nicolas Jackson expected to compete for the central role despite disciplinary setbacks in recent outings.
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