A World Cup with little fanfare

High ticket costs, water at premium prices in stadiums, travel and football fatigue – these are among the factors that could see World Cup 2026 be less of a hit among the sport’s supporters.

THE 2026 World Cup is here and it’s being touted as the best and biggest ever. But is that really so?

Without a doubt, it is the biggest. It is being held across three host nations with 48 teams and a total of 104 games, 72 of them in the group stage alone.

It also promises the highest purse ever – a total of US$655mil (RM2.65bil) to be distributed among all teams, with the champions alone getting a record US$50mil (RM203mil).

Each of the 48 teams is guaranteed at least US$10.5mil each. That’s RM42mil each just for being there! It’s an eye-watering payout.

But best World Cup ever? I doubt it. First of all, it could be a case of too much football. Watching more than 100 matches in just over a month is not for most people.

And here’s a painful fact – the hundreds of millions are not going to come out of FIFA’s pockets or even from the organisers. It’s the sponsors and the fans who will have to pay – and they are indeed paying obscene prices.

Ticket prices are the biggest complaint. Prices change according to demand. It is a bidding war out there. Opening match tickets start at US$560 and can cost up to US$2,735.

At the last World Cup in Qatar, opening match tickets cost between US$55 and US$618.

For group stage matches, some of which are likely to see only a handful of spectators, it costs US$400. In Qatar, it was between US$11 and US$220.

But it is the final that takes the cake. The cheapest ticket can cost US$2,000 and the most expensive US$6,370 – about 10 times more expensive than in Qatar. On FIFA’s official resale platform, they have four tickets up for sale – at US$2mil each.

As though the ticket prices were not dissuasive enough, there is also the prohibitive price of travel from one venue to another – across time zones and even national borders.

Even travel from hotels to stadiums – by buses and trains – and parking there have all been jacked up.

The fans are speaking out with their feet.

Many in Europe who have saved up for years have decided to give the US a skip and head instead to the Mediterranean and other seaside resorts to watch the games live on big-screen TVs.

The atmosphere there could, in fact, be more World Cup-like. After all, the locals in the US are not likely to be too caught up with the spectacle.

“Some are skipping the World Cup altogether,” said Andy Milne, author of the book That World Cup Guy. “Friends are heading to Ibiza to watch every match on TV for a fraction of the price. Others are going to Vegas. It’ll cost far less than tickets, travel, hotels and transport to the stadiums,” Reuters quoted him as saying.

The empty swathes of seats in Guadalajara where South Korea beat the Czechs 2-1 was evidence enough of the missing fans.

US President Donald Trump, despite the farcical Peace Prize he got from FIFA, is also probably more interested in the UFC Freedom 250 mixed martial arts event that he has lined up at the White House lawn on July 4.

His family is selling US$12,000 gold coins – with his face on them – for that event.

July 4, ironically, is also the date that the United States and Iran – who have just renewed their warring vows – could face each other in the newly-introduced round of 32 of the World Cup.

If Trump himself has his thoughts on other sporting events, is it surprising that common Amer­­i­cans would not be interested?

According to a survey by Bloomberg, more than half of US adults say they’re unlikely to watch any of the games, even on TV at home. Many Americans hadn’t heard much about the World Cup, which is being co-hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada.

What’s worse, about half of the baby boomers in the US – aged 60 to 70 – had not even heard of Lionel Messi. And the man plays his football in the US!

Going by what’s coming out of the news agencies in the US, the apathy is real.

In most World Cups in Europe, fans would already be congregating in many parts of the host country – and local residents leaving on holidays abroad for a month. There were few, if any, fans on the streets of the host countries this time.

The organisers have reportedly created fan zones everywhere but until the eve of the first kickoff, there was little evidence of any partying there.

On the eve of the tournament, the expected swarms of fans had yet to arrive, and hotels were cutting rates. Flight bookings have also slumped.

It is “overall a disappointment. There’s no other word that I can say”, said Vijay Dandapani, CEO of the Hotel Association of New York City.

The association has cut its forecast for hotel room revenue tied to the World Cup by 60% to roughly US$60mil.

The football may not be that good, either. June and July are known to be months of high temperatures in many parts of the US and Mexico. Bad weather is also common in some parts.

England got the first taste of it when a friendly had to be delayed after a thunderstorm left the pitch waterlogged. Heat exhaustion, dehydration and reduced stamina are real concerns for players – and the fans.

The players, at least, are getting water breaks midway through each half. The fans, FIFA have announced, cannot even bring in their own bottled water. Instead, they have to buy water that’s sold at the stadium – at premium prices of course.

It certainly does not look like a World Cup for the fans. I am just glad I can lay back on my sofa – or hit the mamak restaurant for a mee goreng and teh tarik – and still watch the games.