On a humid Thursday afternoon in Atlanta, Georgia, about 70,000 fans watched a World Cup soccer game inside the Mercedes-Benz stadium. A little more than a mile away, hundreds more watched the game on a large screen in Centennial Olympic Park.
A few had tickets to see live games elsewhere. Nina Wenklaar from Curaçao paid more than $700 to see her country’s team play in Houston, Texas, and Kansas City, Missouri.
But many fans say money was definitely an object. Soccer player Damian Efraingarro lives in Georgia, and his family is from Argentina. He couldn’t afford to see the Argentinians play in person.
This year, the United States is co-hosting the World Cup for the first time since 1994. It’s also the most expensive World Cup for fans in history. FIFA offered a small fraction of tickets for $60 each. Most cost hundreds of dollars. For the final match in July, tickets are listed for resale at more than $10,000.
It hasn’t always been this way. When the United States hosted the World Cup in 1994, Victor Matheson paid $50 to see a game. Why are tickets so pricey now? FIFA is using dynamic ticket pricing. Like airline tickets, the costs change based how much people want them.
Prices are also higher because more people can afford them. Americans especially are used to expensive sporting events. And a growing number are willing to spend that money on soccer.
Few fans thought World Cup ticket prices would soar to these heights, though. Some seats haven’t sold because of the high prices. At least three games have had more than 1,000 empty seats each. But that’s less than 2% of seats in stadiums that hold more than 60,000 fans. Most stadiums have been nearly full, even with the high prices.
Some fans are willing to pay steep prices for World Cup memories. Viviana Vazquez got married last year. The couple’s honeymoon? Seeing the World Cup this year. She and her husband have spent more than $11,000 to attend five games.
They started saving in 2022. Many soccer fans weren’t so prepared. Some went into debt to buy tickets.
Still, many enjoy the World Cup outside of the stadiums. Let’s head back to Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta. Kevin Bolaños traveled from Costa Rica to the city just to be close to an event. “I used to play [soccer] since I was four years old, so I’m a big fan of this,” he says. “To have the World Cup this close was really a great opportunity to come.”
Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” — Hebrews 13:5
