However, at the stadium with a capacity of 82,500 spectators, some might curiously look at the four chairs behind the goalposts. No, there are no private boxes there. The seats do not come with catering service or a 'meet and greet' with any finalist. Yet, you cannot help but be curious about those four seats numbered 33 to 36. The ticket price is $2,299,998.85. In Bangladeshi currency, each costs over 28 crore taka. In Dhaka, that amount can buy a luxury apartment in Gulshan.
When this caused a stir, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said that if someone buys a final ticket for $2 million, he himself would bring hot dogs and Coke for that spectator to enhance their viewing experience. He said this with a smirk, as if offering free hot dogs with a $2 million ticket would make the cost seem bearable!
Infantino's joke might make you laugh, but the accounting is not very amusing. The numbers show that the 2026 World Cup is set to be not just a football World Cup but also a World Cup of expenses. From tickets to hotels, train fares to parking—everywhere you look, the dollar amounts are soaring.
A month before the World Cup starts, FIFA has tripled the price of final tickets. The highest category ticket was initially priced at $10,990 but later increased to $32,970 (approximately 40 lakh 47 thousand taka). To understand how high this cost is, a comparison with the last edition can be made.
In Qatar, the most expensive final ticket cost $1,604, while in 2026 it is $32,970—more than 20 times higher. You might say that given the vastness of the US economy and the excitement around the final, the ticket price is higher. But the same price increase is also seen in group stage tickets.
A World Cup stamped with Trump's America at every step
The reason for this ticket price increase is dynamic pricing. The concept is complex yet amusing. FIFA first accepted applications for World Cup tickets, not money. Those applications were then entered into a lottery. Usually, winning a lottery means getting something. In this case, it is different. Getting your name in the lottery means you have entered the market to buy tickets. Whether you can actually buy the ticket depends on the bidding.
If you are willing to pay $10 for a ticket, someone else can take it by paying 10 cents more. Conversely, if no one is interested, you can buy it at the lowest price. This fluctuation of price with market demand is dynamic pricing. After winning the bidding war and buying the ticket, there is also an opportunity to 'do business' with it. FIFA has launched a market called the resale market, where you can sell tickets at a higher price. Why did FIFA do this?
In the World Cup year alone, FIFA's revenue will be around $9 billion (approximately 1 lakh 10 thousand 466 crore taka). In comparison, the 2024 Paris Olympics generated $5.24 billion in revenue.
Just as a stock market brokerage house earns commission from both buyers and sellers, FIFA will also take a 15% commission from both sides on resale market tickets, totaling 30%. If those four final tickets sell for $2.3 million, FIFA will earn around $690,000 in commission from each.
Even US President Donald Trump, frustrated by these exorbitant ticket prices, said he himself would not buy tickets at such prices.
The football supporter group Football Supporters Europe has even filed a case with the European Commission, calling the World Cup ticket prices 'extreme exploitation' and 'a great betrayal'.
Like a luxury goods market
However, ticket prices are not the only headache in this World Cup. You spend a lot of money to get a ticket and reach the US; but traveling to and from the stadium, accommodation, and food—every step will require you to spend plenty of dollars.
The distance from New York's Penn Station to MetLife Stadium is 56 kilometers. Under normal circumstances, the round-trip fare for this route is about $13. During the World Cup, New Jersey Transit has increased that fare to $98. The situation is similar at Boston's Gillette Stadium—four times the normal fare, with round-trip train fares at $80 and express bus fares at $95.
A World Cup trophy replica installed in Texas with enthusiastic spectators
A World Cup trophy replica installed in Texas with enthusiastic spectatorsAFP
And if you use a private car instead of public transport, there is no relief either. Parking at MetLife costs $225, at Boston's Gillette it is $175, and that is not even in the stadium parking but at a nearby shopping mall.
Now let's look at accommodation. Hotel room rates on match days are increasing daily. Airbnb is quite popular for short stays in the US. People rent out a part of their home for one or more nights. On Airbnb, the nightly rate for a house near MetLife Stadium has gone up to $6,000.
A BBC analysis found that if a Scottish family of four goes to the US to watch their team's group stage matches, their accommodation costs alone would exceed $34,000. Yet, there is the uncertainty of how well Scotland will actually perform in a group with Brazil and Morocco.
This wave of massive spending is affecting not only spectators but also the participating countries. In the 2023-2026 cycle, FIFA's total revenue target is $13 billion (approximately 1 lakh 59 thousand 620 crore taka). According to The Guardian, in the World Cup year alone, FIFA's revenue will be around $9 billion (approximately 1 lakh 10 thousand 466 crore taka). In comparison, the 2024 Paris Olympics generated $5.24 billion in revenue.
However, FIFA has also increased the allocation for participating countries. This time, the total prize money for the teams is set at $871 million (approximately 10 thousand 690 crore taka), nearly double that of Qatar ($440 million). Each team will receive at least $12.5 million (153 crore taka). Still, some countries fear that travel, accommodation, and other costs are so high that if they are eliminated in the group stage, they will incur an overall loss.
But FIFA sees overall profit for everyone. Whenever issues about tickets, accommodation, and travel have arisen, FIFA President Gianni Infantino has repeatedly said that FIFA is a non-profit organization and this income will be spent on football development in its 211 member countries.
But the reality is that in building a mountain of money, FIFA has taken the biggest football festival beyond the reach of ordinary spectators.
Block number 124, row number 45, seat numbers 33, 34, 35, and 36—whether anyone finally bought those tickets, or who bought them, will be known on July 19. But the number of that price will remain in the minds of ordinary people for a long time—as a sign of how football is changing.
Author: Senior Assistant Editor, Prothom Alo
