World Cup Fans Dropped $2,500 to $150,000 on Matches—and Every Single One Says It Was Money Well Spent
Soccer fans from around the globe are emptying their wallets for the World Cup, and they’re not looking back. As of early July, resale tickets for top knockout matches on StubHub were going for roughly $20,000, while upper-level seats hovered around $5,000. But tickets are just the beginning. Add in airfare, hotels, rental cars, meals, and merchandise, and the total tab can soar by thousands more. Outside New York’s Penn Station, fans heading to matches at MetLife Stadium told CNBC Make It they expected to spend anywhere from $2,500 to a whopping $150,000. Not a single one regretted a penny.
Tony Richardson and his son, visiting from the U.K., spent weeks crisscrossing the U.S. around World Cup games. They booked flights early for about $2,000, paid roughly $1,000 per ticket, and shelled out thousands more on rental cars and hotels. Their itinerary stretched from Orlando and Daytona Beach to Dallas, with detours to New Orleans, Graceland, and Niagara Falls before catching England versus Ghana in Boston. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime trip,” Richardson said. “The people have been absolutely fantastic. It’s really changed my perception of the U.S.” New Yorker Andrew Hall, a self-described die-hard fan, skipped travel costs but splurged on FIFA hospitality packages—$2,000 per ticket for food, drinks, and lounge access. He expects to drop over $12,000 for five matches. His pregnant wife gave him the green light: “She was like, ‘This is my gift to you. Whatever you want to spend, please spend it.’” Hall set reminders for ticket sales the moment New York was named a host city. “Would I do it again? Absolutely. I wish the World Cup was every year.”
The biggest spenders CNBC Make It spoke with were Rachel and Nigel Vinecombe, who expect to drop about $150,000 on 10 matches. Roughly $100,000 goes to FIFA ticket packages; the rest covers travel, lodging, and extras. The couple, splitting time between Israel and Australia, flew from Tel Aviv for the tournament. “This is my fifth World Cup,” Nigel said. “It’s a much better carnival experience with the fans than club matches. It’s something that I didn’t want to miss.” They’re already planning for the next World Cup in Portugal, Spain, and Morocco. “And it’s very worth it,” Rachel added. “We’ll do it again.” At the other end of the spectrum, Miguel Macias from Guadalajara, Mexico, expects to spend about $2,500 on his trip—$700 for a ticket, $500 for airfare, and $1,200 for a hotel. He had already attended a match in Mexico City for $1,500. “It’s way more of a celebration with your people,” he said. “It’s a great experience.” Macias saved cash for four years. “I saved for years for this experience, and it’s 100% worth it.”