Philadelphia soccer fans sound alarm over FIFA's dynamic World Cup pricing

More than 400,000 fans experienced the FIFA World Cup in person at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. 

The stadium sold out for five straight matches, but there were still many people who could not go due to high prices in Philadelphia and other venues across the United States, Canada and Mexico — the tournament's three host nations. 

For some on the outside looking in, it's created a feeling of being so close to something, but so far away at the same time.

Sam Griggs of Delaware County was excited about this year's World Cup. Growing up a big soccer fan in the United Kingdom, he thought the tournament being in the country he lives in would be a perfect opportunity. 

"I just thought it was a given," Griggs, who is the executive director of Nether United and 1776 United FC, a youth soccer club, said. 

The costs made that "given" impossible, Griggs said. He looked at FIFA's website, along with resale sites and continued to see prices for hundreds and thousands of dollars.  

"I thought, OK, well, there might be a couple of games that are not so high in demand that you probably are able to get some cheaper seats somewhere," he said.  

Even for matches that did not feature some of the world's top teams, the prices remained out of reach for him. Reality set in for his 12-year-old son, Adley, as well. 

"I just started to become sad because then I realized that I probably wouldn't be able to go to any World Cup games," Adley Griggs said. 

Data analysis from sites like the World Cup Guide shows that the 2026 tournament is the most expensive ever. Two professors from Temple University backed that up. 

"It doesn't matter what metric you choose," Michael Leeds, an economics professor at Temple, said. 

Incomes are higher in the United States than in many other previous tournament hosts, Leeds said. 

FIFA decided to use dynamic pricing for this World Cup — a deviation from previous tournaments. Basically, prices can change based on factors like demand and timing. 

Typically, that should allow prices to swing in both directions, according to Leeds. 

"I think what has caught people by surprise is the degree to which prices have been going in one direction, simply going up," he said. 

For people like Griggs, it also raises questions about accessibility, as soccer continues its growth in the United States. 

"How sustainable is that? If it's only a select few who can actually get the access that people need to stay engaged with the game?" he said. 

Others like Bryant Simon, who teaches history at Temple, say there are ways to draw people in without going to matches. He acknowledged the frustration that people had with FIFA regarding the prices ahead of the tournament, but said watch parties like FIFA's Fan Festival at Lemon Hill have still helped with drawing people in.  

The tournament has also allowed many municipalities, bars and restaurants to host gatherings across the three host nations. 

"You can feel a connection without necessarily getting in the stadium," he said.  

Simon was living in the Los Angeles area during the 1994 World Cup, the last one held in the United States before this year. Thirty-two years later, he said it's a better experience.

The connections felt have changed some of the anger around not being able to afford tickets, he said. 

"And now the story isn't so much about FIFA and ticket prices. It's about, hey, did you see the game?" Simon said. 

Adley's story is still about how he and others can't go. He sees filled stadiums in many of the matches he watches on television, and wonders about who the people are shelling out tons of money to watch in person. 

"It's like crazy because like all these people can afford that," he said. 

Griggs is interested in making the game bigger in this country, as someone involved in youth soccer. But he wonders how it can expand if people are missing out on opportunities to fall in love with the game. 

"You need the money to make it grow – but if you have too much money in it, then the growth is only a percentage of the population," he said.