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

I'm still somewhat surprised at how expensive Brazil vs Haiti is. Yes, I know it's Brazil, I know there's a big Haitian diaspora in the northeast, but I still didn't expect the match to have such a premium price point in the latest US Soccer pricing grid. Whenever I talk to more casual soccer fans, they always make some kind of joke about how they will not pay any money to see "teams like Haiti and Panama play" (I MEAN NO OFFENSE TO PEOPLE OF THESE NATIONS, I'm just making an observation)

I expected this game to fall down in price but it didn't, whereas England vs Ghana is not that expensive all things considered. So what's my point? My point is I personally have no idea which games will go down in price closing to the day of the match

 

This makes me wonder.
With all the thunderstorms and delays we had during the CWC in ‘25 if we have similar issues close to kickoff maybe some people will want to unload instead of wait an hour or whatever.
Maybe that will be something I hope for in Miami when a certain group stage match occurs.

 

I think there'll be a few but not heaps, group B save canada games, D save USA games, E except Ecuador vs Germany, all G without Iran, Cape Verde vs Saudi in H, Group J save argentina, UZB vs play-off, Ghana vs Panama. That's maybe 20 games? I think

 

Remember during the CWC there were lots of Flamengo fans in Philly. So I expect those fans and others to want to see the National team.
Also New England has one of the highest concentrations of Brazilians which is just a few hours away. I remember one of the few matches I ever viewed on television in which Mexico fans were outnumbered in the USA was when they played Brasil in New England. Jam packed with thousands of yellow shirts.

 

Its a little surprising, but other possible factors:
- Friday night versus Tuesday afternoon
- Stadium that's fairly easy to access versus one that isn't at all.

Not sure how much these factors matter though. Probably the biggest factor is Brazil is really the only national team that marketed itself globally really well (like at a level comparable with big UEFA clubs).

 

Two questions:
1. Do we know if the FCFS phase is going to be based on actual ticket assignments? I thought it was, because I understood this extended period of everything being closed was related to seats being assigned prior to April 2 but maybe I made that up...
2. Was there ever an indication of when the US Insiders draw will send email links for people selected to buy tickets other than "late march"?

 

https://www.reuters.com/sports/socc...s-mexico-us-iran-federation-chief-2026-03-17/

Reportedly, Iran wants to play in Mexico. Don't know how feasible that move would be..

 

That's weird, would they rig the knockouts too?
The only non-US place they could play a r32 in is Vancouver if placing 3rd

Not to mention the impact on the other group G teams. I dont see it.

 

I wonder how much changed and progressed on Sunday and Monday for them to now use "negotiating" everywhere rather than "enquiring" and "exploring" that world media were using three or four days ago. Let's see. Can't rule anything out these days given how happily they made changes to the 2022 schedule at short notice too. There's definitely room in the schedule to fit them in to play in Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Monterrey for example if it were to eventuate. Hopefully it doesn't happen, and they find a way to play in their original plan.

Would be annoying personally as someone who has everything booked for six days in LA watching M15, with a game the day beforehand elsewhere, and already being in Mexico the week earlier

 

Well in 2002 China was set to avoid playing in Japan, and played only in Korea, but that was one of the conditions during the draw. I guess they knew they were not going to advance outside the group stage

 

Pray tell, what are the 'dregs' matches?
Some matches were going for less than original price on the FIFA resale site and there was inventory on the last (everything is sold BUT) sales phase. They will have to do something with those tickets because those Cat 1s wont be sold. Maybe (as a previous poster pointed out) sell them as cat 2s and 3s. It would be a disguised price cut but they will make the money from rinsing us for food and drink in the stadium anyway.
There is another complication with leaving it so late - events. ith recent developments the price for flying East of Suez to North America has gone up markedly. That is an extra burden for the person who was leaving it to the last minute.
(I havent booked my flights yet and I have tickets for three matches. Is because I dont know what country I am flying to. For people who havent got tickets at all, it might just be the thing that puts the costs out of reach).
Anyway - time will tell.

 

That makes sense. Also, looking more closely at the PHL group stage matches, I'm starting to think it's probably one of the most attractive ones for a neutral.

 

That was a 32 team tournament with knockout brackets sides entirely in each country. It was easy to keep China out of Korea. The two sides of the tournament only met in the finals.

 

Although it was annoying that FIFA decided to do it that way - i.e. having two 16-team tournaments. Which meant only certain matchups were possible for the final and semifinals, and it was easier for 2 teams from the same group to meet in the KO stage (which in fact happened).

That was considered for the 2026 WC but glad they decided against it.

 

It was more of a statement that not all matches are treated equally. But if you want to believe that the bulk of matches will not sell out at current cost, that is certainly a strategy. Selling Cat 1 as 2 and 3 is a standard FIFA World Cup practice. I have benefited from that one first hand.

I just personally don't believe that tickets will be cheaper closer in. Will I be burned based off of that belief? not really. I am set on tickets and flights/hotels and got the peace of mind that I am done and am now working on restaurant strategy.

 

Restaurant strategy! That's next level WC planning

 

That's not correct. Brazil and Turkey advanced on China's group and they both went to.Japan's side of the playoffs brackets

 

100%. I love food, and we make our reservations as early as possible. We have 2 games in Vancouver and will be getting 3 meals during that trip. Going to Indian brunch, dim sum and a fancy 10 course dinner. We are planners. We booked a 12 bed beach house in Puget Sound fo

 

You're coming out of London @tedmak? Have you narrowed down the options on country and flight paths yet? Just wondering what it's looking like given what's going on currently.

We've got a much longer flight coming out of Singapore but pretty straightforward route wise.

 

Hi, Rod
I want to be in Mexico before the opening game and soak up the atmosphere before M2. I have the route ro Vancouver after thar all planned. I am hopeful it will work out. London to Mexico City then Guadalajara is not too bad. Just want FIFA to put me out of my purgatory.
Relatively simple for me - but for others.

 

@Licho is correct. Turkey actually played Japan (in Japan) in the first knockout round. Brazil played its first two knockout round matches in Japan, and then in the semifinal beat Turkey (in Japan). If China had advanced from Group C, it would have played in Japan, quite likely against Japan. As I recall, South Korea 'officially requested to host China in the group stages for reasons of logistics', and at the same time FIFA decided to ensure Saudi Arabia and China went to different countries for the group stages 'to ensure regional confederation balance'. Of course, it was really about politics, but those were official explanations that were given at the time.

 

Half of the groups switched countries for the knockouts, but every team knew after the draw which country's half of the knockout bracket they would go into.

 

I thought with my Norway vs Senegal ticket I’d be watching the champions of Africa play - not anymore!

 

For me "the dregs" is about half the matches in the group phase.