Soccer fans in Chicago wanting to attend U.S. World Cup say ticket prices are too expensive
In nearly one month, the United States will be co-hosting the World Cup.
Lots of tickets remain available, but some fans say they are out of reach because of how expensive they are.
At the Soccer House, in the 500 block of North Ogden Avenue in Chicago's West Loop, Michael Salgado says he was disappointed his attempts to snag some World Cup tickets weren't possible.
"I tried a few times, but the queues and the prices are so, like, crazy that it makes it kind of hard for just, like, a regular person to go try and get tickets for even for like a small game," he said.
Salgado had set aside a hefty amount for tournament matches.
"Like $500, $600 maybe, but for a decent seat because I wasn't trying to sit all the way in the back corner, but I would probably say that was my top out," he said.
However, with the current ticket prices, even that won't cut it. A check at the United States' opening match against Paraguay shows a batch of face value tickets at nearly $2,000 for upper deck seats, and north of $4,000 for seats closest to the field. On the resale market, those prices jump significantly higher.
"I do think that there has been some frustration because fans feel like they're a bit in the dark," said Ticket Data founder Keith Pagello.
His platform allows consumers to view ticket price trends for live events. He says the process in which FIFA—the sport's governing body running the tournament––has released tickets is adding to the concern of fans.
Pagello says there's some good news.
"Over the past two weeks, about 80% of the games have seen their prices on the resale sites start to decline, some by just a little, but others by as much as 20-30% or more," he said.
"We're at a time when there is such a premium placed on live events," said Andres Martinez, co-director of the Great Game Lab at Arizona State University.
Martinez has written books on soccer, and says while Americans know major sports events can be expensive, international fans visiting have different experiences.
"I'm kind of used to the idea that most years I'm not going to go to the Super Bowl because I can't afford to. That's a harder concept for global supporters of some of the teams coming to the World Cup to sort of accept," he said.
Fans like Salgado will hold onto a little hope, but say watching it on TV will be the plan for now.
"Unless I could find something last minute, like a steal, yeah, I'll try to go, but for now I'll stick to the TV, yeah," he said.
Pagello said the strategy now for fans who still want to go is to monitor prices daily but not to expect dramatic drops. So if a ticket is within reach, the best thing to do is take it before it's gone.
