Going to North America '26: tickets, accommodations, etc. (non-politics)

You might be right, but to be fair, I was surprised that as many people here posted they already put in an application. Granted, I presume most do so they can get free cancelation lodging all tied up in case they win in the lottery.

 

I don’t think FIFA needs to fudge the numbers on 5 million apps in 1 day. The 3 hosts are over 500 million people combined plus international fans.

 

The Dallas SF is also a bit more expensive than the Atlanta SF.

 

I agree. I live in the Bay Area but my circle is not made up of the rich techie scene. Mostly middle class Latino and everyone is amped about the World Cup. Definitely not the type to be lurking on forums like this and their sentiment is they are willing to pay a good amount just to experience going to a game. Lots of disappointment in the games we got at Levi’s but they still wanna go. Some have said they are willing to pay even $300 for those games. The demand is real and people saying the stadiums won’t be full are delusional and probably hate American culture, so they want us to have a bad turnout. Prices may go down because of the market, but people will be there. This isn’t Qatar.

 

So I more or less decided which games to apply for through the FA, but I’ve gone back and forth since Wednesday as to whether to put in an application for a $4,185 final ticket. I’ll hate myself if my team make it to the final and I didn’t even do the application, but whenever I think “yes, let’s do it” I also secretly hope I won’t be successful with that bid. So aside from all the moping about prices (including me…), what are people actually doing? Final yes or no?

 

There is nothing to be gained from waiting, so why wait? I don't get why people joined a queue because there is no rush either. I expect there is an inverted bell curve of applications with lots at the beginning, slowing to a trickle in the middle and picking up again near the close.

 

Apologies if this has been asked before, but what is the consensus best method for maximizing chances in the draw while avoiding applications being voided? Are people doing 1 per household, 1 per person, or just spamming applications with alt emails? I was originally going to do 1 for myself and 1 for my dad, but if people are doing multiple applications per person and spoofing information, then I might give that a try.

 

Afraid my point of view won't help you. Personally I can not see what all the fuss is about with the final and with these absurd prices woudl not even consider it. It did go to the Final in 1986 and it was great but it felt like the party had finished a week or so earlier as most teams and fans had gone home and the local were getting bored with it. The best vibes are really with the Groups.

 

I think "being there" is an underrated factor that no one can really quantify. This isn't the MLS or even the CWC (with its lack of prestige), so people might have going to a WC as a bucket list item and they can't/won't travel for one.

 

I'm just doing one since they're auto-charging and I don't want to deal with reselling

 

Interesting to read your personal experience of demand in the Bay Area. Hopefully everyone has a great time.

I hope Americans don't take criticism personally because it generally isn't aimed at you. The USA is a great and varied country. There is something for most people to love in American culture and most people will find things they dislike too. That's OK, people tend to have a love/hate relationship with their own countries too. The Americas as a whole are even more varied. The critics, mostly, don't want empty seats. It would be great if ticket prices crashed for some matches.

One of the great things about the World Cup, in person, is the different fan cultures and meeting people from other countries excited to watch football. I thought the US fans in Brazil were great. As were the Mexicans. Especially those that offered me some of their tequila before they played Croatia.

The disappointment and anger is that football is being taken away from the ordinary man and woman. Qatar was chosen for money. The USA is being used to wring every penny they can out of you. Saudi Arabia was chosen for money. Not for sport, not for supporters and not to grow the game. It wasn't always this way. South Africa was not chosen for money. It doesn't have to be this way as UEFA shows with their pricing.

It seems that the world is becoming a greedier, nastier place. FIFA reflects that.

 

Take your positivity somewhere else bud.. it's not needed here.

Ha

 

Different if it is your team though. I agree the best vibes are during the early stages. Might peak in the new R32 this time as most teams are still there and every match has a lot riding on it. A conditional final ticket has to be seen in a different light to a neutral final ticket. No way is $4,000+ worth it as a neutral, unless you're rich, but to see your nation it is a lifetime memory.

I can't advise anyone. Depends on personal circumstances. I still have a mortgage to pay so a hard no for me.

 

Kansas City, Missouri.

 

The complaints by fans ARE legitimate. The media now, however, are making up for the fact they have given 26 a free ride. Qatar was slagged off for YEARS. It took until the middle of this year for the European media to realise it is sometimes hot in the United States.
The prices were plainly going to be high once we saw the first cut of prices for the Club World Cup as well as the selling of the RTBs. That is when the alarm should have been raised by the media.
At the time only the travelling fans of the participating teams really noticed.
I get it is a shock for people who have not been noticing the process to the extent people do on this forum but I, for one, am not surprised. I follow the NFL and, lets face it, WC final is a bigger event than the Superbowl.
I have been to 3 full world cups. I am only going to the group stage this time and MAY fit in a R32 game, but that is it.
I understand a number of England regulars, who have full caps, are doing similar.
I am not happy about it - but am not going to rant and rail about something that has been obvious for a long.

For your guide, you can now expect months of negative coverage from the media because the tone is set. Is what it is.

 

Exactly! All this late hand wringing is ridiculous. This has been cooking for 2 years and was ignored at the time it could have made a difference.

 

5m tickets requests is probably 200,000 real applications with 25 tickets average. Why not ?

 

I remember staying in Knysna in South Africa just after Denmark & France, who had been staying there left, and it was dead quiet except for some remnants of their stay which again was like turning up to a party when the vacuum cleaner comes out.

 

Does it matter? let’s say they get 10 million seat requests by January. The number we need is unique seat request. FIFA’s not gonna disclose that, but Im going to guess 2million seats will be gone this phase.

 

I really doubt the average applicant is requesting anywhere near 25 tickets.

 

yeah but not every game will considered equal. Your SF matches are going to have every applicant accepted IMO. Brazil vs Scotland? they are going to hold those back to dynamic further.

 

If I had full England caps guaranteeing cat 3 tickets and wanted to do three matches I would be very tempted to do the final group game, R32 and R16. That could go wrong if England do not perform but there is the possibility of an epic at the Azteca, it could even against Mexico. It is the qtr final where ticket prices really start climbing and cancelled rooms should become available as the tournament goes on. Just doing the group does mean you can get all your expenses lined up in advance.

Fully agree the press will keep complaining now because bad news is good clicks whilst good news is not.

 

Complaints or protests about ticket prices from national federations at this time feels like posturing for the public. I'm quite sure that they have had a good idea of what prices would be for quite some time already. I have an 'insiders' status with US Soccer (a paid supporter tier) and had a zoom meeting last May with someone from US Soccer who let me know that prices would be 'substantial' and that prices for US matches would be higher than for some other matches. As an aside, during that meeting he told me the date of the draw, December 5th, which turned out to be correct, but also said that it was going to be in Las Vegas, so I guess the location was changed on someone's request...

 

That’s exactly my plan. I’m a mid capper so will probably apply for Cat 1. Have some games covered through RTTs and resale. Azteca on my bucket list. Have flexible hotel and flight bookings also to cover runner up scenario.

 

I think you wont need the full caps for the conditional matches due to having to put all the money up front. (Though it may be different for the final).
Someone elsethread mentioned an underrated part of the WC IS the group stages. The technical quality of the teams (not the excitement) is not as good as the knockouts. The group VIBE is way better because you have the fans of all the teams there.
Some people just want to hang about with fans of the same team as them, but if you just want to live on Planet Football, there is nothing like it. That atmosphere reduces by 1 third the day after the last group match and declines from there.
By the day of the final you are 'only' watching the biggest football match in the world. Is why I am focusing on the group stage