'There's just so much competition': 8 people told us how much they're spending on the World Cup

• The 2026 FIFA World Cup is shaping up to be the most expensive one yet.
• Some fans are spending thousands of dollars to see the biggest event in sports.
• Eight people told us how much they're spending and how they plan to make it work.

Worchihan Zingkhai remembers when he first fell in love with soccer.

It was the 1998 FIFA World Cup, and his whole community in Ukhrul, a small village in India near the Myanmar border, was gathered to watch Italy play Chile on a black-and-white TV.

The game was a tense, back-and-forth that finished 2-2 thanks to a late penalty kick for the Italians.

"That was the beginning of my football journey," Zingkhai told Business Insider.

When a plan to visit his in-laws in the US in June coincided with the 2026 World Cup, attending a game was a no-brainer. The challenge was getting the tickets.

Zingkhai, a 40-year-old teacher and content creator, said he had wanted to see England, Portugal, or Argentina play. When he tried to buy tickets in February, prices were hundreds of dollars over his budget.

A few months later, during last-minute ticket sales, and after spending three hours in a line, he got the cheapest ticket he could find in Atlanta, close to where he is staying: $140 to see the Czech Republic against South Africa.

"My village has about 800 people. When I tell the villagers, I'm going to the World Cup, and the stadium that I'm going to has more than 70,000 people, they cannot believe it," he said.

Zingkhai is among 6.5 million fans expected to attend the 2026 World Cup.

Between high ticket prices, travel costs, and accommodation expenses, some supporters are spending thousands of dollars and making significant sacrifices to see the biggest event in sports.

Business Insider spoke to eight people from around the world about how much they're paying to attend the games and how they are making the trip work.

First came the ticket hunt

This is set to be the most expensive World Cup yet for fans: In April's last-minute sales phase, a ticket to the final cost at least $5,785.

FIFA expects to generate nearly $9 billion in revenue in 2026, part of a projected $13 billion haul for the four-year World Cup cycle ending with this summer's tournament. It generated $7.5 billion over the four-year period from 2019 to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

For many fans, securing a ticket has been complicated.

The tournament starts with the group stage, with 12 groups of four teams. The best-placed teams move on to the knockout rounds, starting with the Round of 32. Ticket prices increase as the stakes get higher.

Between September and January, FIFA held three ticket sales phases in which fans applied through a ballot system. Prices increased by April's "last-minute" phase.

From December, fans could get tickets through participating member associations, the governing bodies of the countries that qualified.

FIFA is using dynamic pricing, meaning ticket prices have fluctuated based on demand, a practice criticized by many fans.

Fans still looking for a ticket could also turn to FIFA's resale marketplace. This has pushed prices higher for the most popular games, but as the tournament draws nearer, there have been some big discounts.

The resale marketplace is largely unregulated, with some exceptions in Mexico and parts of Canada.

Shriya Agnihotri, a 29-year-old social worker from Toronto, was excited when she learned the World Cup would be in North America. The tournament was always a big deal in her family growing up. Now, Agnihotri felt attending a game was finally attainable.

She had no success locking down a ticket in the final lottery draw in January. During last-minute ticket sales in April, after spending six hours in line, the games she was interested in turned out to be too expensive.

She ended up buying a Category 1 ticket for Ghana against Panama for 630 Canadian dollars ($454).

Alan Talbot, a 61-year-old civil engineer from the UK, who has been to four World Cups in his lifetime, said it has become progressively harder to buy tickets over the years.

"There's just so much competition," he said.

Talbot said he has noticed that a lot of soccer fans on forums have found this the most frustrating tournament to get tickets for.

Talbot ultimately secured four tickets on resale and via a friend in the second sales phase. The tickets have cost him and his wife just over $3,100.

The fan who opened a dedicated savings account

For some younger fans and those traveling internationally, attending the World Cup has required extensive planning.

Mo Faraj, a 23-year-old from Boston, opened a dedicated savings account in November to save for the World Cup. As an Iraqi, he was determined to watch his team play its first World Cup since 1986.

Iraq was one of the last countries to qualify for the World Cup, thanks to a nail-biting playoff, so its PMA sales phase took place in April rather than December, as with most others.

Faraj bought a Category 1 ticket for Iraq against Senegal at $450 through the FIFA website, and two more tickets via Iraq's PMA: $180 to see Iraq against Norway, and $220 to see it play France — both Category 2 seats.

Iraqi fans have been organizing Facebook and WhatsApp groups to keep costs down, Faraj said.

"Everyone's offering up their places, people are offering free transportation, food," he said. "They're just happy that we're in the World Cup; they'll do anything just to enjoy the moment."

Faraj and his five friends decided to split the cost of Airbnbs. They're renting a full-size SUV to travel between Boston, Philadelphia, and Toronto and splitting the gas costs. Faraj estimates his total accommodation spend will be about $1,000 for four nights.

The fan who postponed a trip to his home country

The World Cup takes place in 16 cities across North America, where accommodation costs can vary widely. Atlanta or Guadalajara, for example, are much cheaper than New York City or Los Angeles.

Seasoned tournament-goers, like Talbot, booked some of their hotels nearly a year in advance to avoid higher costs.

Others are making sacrifices to be there.

Khai Duong, a 28-year-old dental hygienist from Atlanta, told Business Insider he's been putting away $400 a month since the summer to afford the accommodation, rental car, and the tickets he bought for two games. This has meant he has had to postpone a trip to his home country, Vietnam, until next year.

Zingkhai said he earns about 500 Indian rupees a day — roughly $5 to $6. Though his in-laws are largely covering the $2,340 airfare to get from northeast India to the US, the cost of food, merch, and tickets means he's forgoing replacing a broken laptop because he can't afford the extra expense right now.

Paying for bucket-list matches

Those who want to see the opening match or final have to spend a lot more.

Tickets started at $140 for group-stage matches during April's first open ticket sale. In the same phase, it would cost at least $5,785 to see the final, and nearly $11,000 for a Category 1 seat.

Vanessa Jimenez, 32, from Dallas, spent over $2,000 on one ticket on FIFA's resale portal to attend the opening game between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City.

"That's always kind of been a dream of ours to go to, obviously, either a World Cup final or an opener," said Jimenez. "The final would be amazing, of course, but that's even more expensive to attend."

The fans turning to travel hacks to cut costs

To avoid breaking the bank, fans have been getting creative. Jimenez said she has secured free accommodation in Mexico City through a content partnership.

Faraj is splitting nearly every expense with friends. Others are building community resources to help fellow fans navigate the tournament.

David Nugent, a 31-year-old from Glasgow, has tickets to see Scotland play Brazil in Miami through a work contract. He is currently waiting for prices to drop for Scotland against Haiti in Boston.

"Unless I win the lottery, I'm not buying them," Nugent said. He has created an Instagram page, called @tartanarmyinboston, with a friend to share practical tips on navigating Boston.

The city is expecting a large number of Scotsto visit,as the team is playing two of its three group-stage games at the nearby Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts.

Nugent has also planned a boat party for Scotland soccer fans, known as the "Tartan Army." It will be Scotland's first World Cup since 1998.

Mike Teevan, a 46-year-old from Glasgow, took things a step further and organized a bus for a group of Scottish supporters.

"It kind of just snowballed from there," Teevan told Business Insider. Through booking agents, he has organized buses for 1,120 fans to keep public transport costs down. Teevan sold bus tickets for between £31 and £45 each ($42 and $60). It costs $90 for a coach ticket between downtown Boston and Gillette Stadium during the tournament, and $80 for a round-trip rail ticket, compared to $20 on an NFL game day.

In the statement to Business Insider, FIFA said it is "focused on ensuring fair access to our game for existing and prospective fans."

Despite the costs, the fans' excitement is palpable.

"My mom, actually, the other day, told me, 'Oh, so will I see you on television?'" Zingkhai, the fan from India, said.

"I wish I could get a ticket for England, Portugal, Argentina games, but I mean, I could not afford it, but I'm happy. I'm happy with what I got," he added.

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