Like many Brazilians, Thiago Pessao grew up obsessed with the World Cup. By 2014 he had attended 23 matches, and another 17 in 2018. He was close to adding more in Qatar 2022 before Brazil’s early exit and an agreement with his wife stopped him.
Pessao remains a committed fan, but he says the largely US-hosted, expanded 2026 tournament has become harder to justify. He estimates he has already spent $30,000–$40,000: tickets to Brazil’s group games in New Jersey, Philadelphia and Miami and a likely round-of-32 match in Houston cost upwards of $4,000; the return flight to Brazil was $5,000; and internal flights, hotels and other expenses are mounting. By comparison, he spent a little more than $10,000 in Qatar and less at earlier tournaments.
If Brazil reaches the final his bill will rise further — and that’s without the neutral matches he normally attends. He says dynamic pricing and a lack of demand on FIFA’s new ticket exchange, combined with fees and the need to pay before fixtures are known, mean he may wait and see. “I love to watch a lot of games. But for this World Cup, the tickets are too expensive, so my plan right now is only to follow Brazil,” he told DW. “A final ticket is costing $4,000 or $5,000. I think it’s too much but my feeling is that if Brazil is in the final, I have to be there.”
High prices and a potentially hostile atmosphere are also putting other fans off. Pessao worries about heightened immigration enforcement, saying the presence of ICE in stadiums or cities could dampen the mood. Adaer Melgar, a US fan living near MetLife Stadium, saved $100 a month since the bid win but was shocked by the final costs: six tickets to two non-US matches cost $3,400. He says charging for fan zones and other practices makes the event feel like “a big money grab,” and he is grappling with ethical qualms about boycotting the tournament because of the US administration and FIFA’s approach.
For many fans, especially from countries with lower average incomes, the budgets required are out of reach. Germany’s Stimmungsmacher (fan leader) Bengt Kunkel says the average cost for German fans to attend three group matches is €5,000–€8,000. He and others also cited new social media checks for US visitors as a factor in opting out. “As an ordinary person you really have no chance of affording this tournament,” he said.
Organized fan groups and consumer bodies are taking issue with FIFA’s pricing and ticket practices. Euroconsumers and Football Supporters Europe filed a complaint alleging abuses of a dominant market position under EU competition rules. They cited pricing, FIFA’s resale platform — where both buyer and seller pay a 15% fee — dynamic pricing, and pressure-selling tactics, saying emails suggested “exclusive access” to a limited ticket window that created artificial urgency and rushed decisions.
Visa processes and travel restrictions are additional barriers. The previous two World Cups used fast-track, temporary visa arrangements; for 2026 FIFA PASS offers expedited visa interviews but makes clear tickets don’t guarantee entry. Fans of some first-time qualifiers, like Jordan, report visa delays and rejections, with embassy closures related to global security concerns worsening prospects. Jordanian fan Ghazi Al Samouee said applications have been stuck without answers.
The US State Department has also added 12 countries to a list requiring visitors to post bonds up to $15,000; Tunisia was recently added. Several World Cup teams were already on lists that complicate travel. Other supporters are excluded outright by US travel bans: fans from Senegal, Haiti and Ivory Coast on the Trump-era list cannot enter unless they hold alternative passports, despite FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s 2025 promise that “Everyone will be welcome in Canada, Mexico and the United States for the FIFA World Cup next year.”
At the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year, a Senegal fan warned, “If we’re not accepted as supporters, our teams shouldn’t go and neither should we. We are the strength of these competitions. Without spectators, there’s no one. Without spectators, there is no sport, there is no entertainment.”
Infantino and FIFA have repeatedly emphasized the importance of fans and unity. Yet between high prices, worries about safety and enforcement, visa hurdles and travel bans, supporters worldwide say they are struggling to feel welcome in the US for the 2026 World Cup.
Dana Sumlaji and Thomas Klein contributed to this story.
Edited by: Chuck Penfold