Attending a World Cup has never been cheap. But the 2026 edition, spread across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, is rewriting the playbook on just how expensive the beautiful game can get.

Category 1 group stage tickets are running between $450 and $990, a significant jump from the 2022 Qatar tournament. VIP and hospitality packages can exceed $20,000. And that’s before you factor in flights, hotels, and the dynamic pricing models that make the whole experience feel less like buying a ticket and more like bidding at auction.

Bigger tournament, bigger price tag

The math behind the cost inflation starts with scale. This is the first World Cup featuring 48 teams, up from 32 in previous editions. More teams…