The FIFA World Cup is marketed as a global celebration for audiences everywhere, presenting itself as an event that transcends national, cultural and social boundaries by bringing people together through soccer.

Yet the 2026 World Cup, hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, has drawn criticism for high ticket prices and immigration policies that many argue contradict its promise of accessibility and inclusion.

Bryan Clift, an assistant professor of parks, recreation and tourism management at NC State who has studied the social and economic implications of hosting large-scale sporting events, said the World Cup is becoming harder for the average fan to attend or experience.

This is due in part to FIFA’s dynamic pricing model, in which ticket prices fluctuate based on demand in a manner similar to airline fares or ride-sharing services. Instead of a stable, predictable price range, fans face rapidly increasing prices as tickets sell. 

As a result, ticket access becomes more difficult for average fans, especially for high-demand matches. Rising demand quickly drives up prices while reducing availability. This can favor wealthier buyers, who are better able to afford the higher costs.

“Soccer is the world’s game. It’s supposed to be for everyone.”

For the 2026 World Cup final at MetLife Stadium, premium Category 1 tickets were initially listed at about $6,730 in early sales. In later phases, those same top-tier seats rose to $10,990, while the highest “Front Category” tickets reached about $32,970.

Clift said FIFA’s dynamic pricing model reflects a market-based approach in which prices align with what people are willing and able to pay, but he added that it can feel “tone-deaf to the reality that certain groups are predominantly able to attend at those prices.”

“Soccer is the world’s game. It’s supposed to be for everyone,” Clift said. “But with FIFA’s pricing model, there’s a discrepancy between that idealized image and the actual cost of attending. So yes, it’s fair economically as far as what the market can dictate, but no, it’s not fair in terms of what the sport claims to stand for.”

Officials in New York, New Jersey, California and Texas have opened investigations into FIFA’s World Cup ticketing practices, examining whether the organization’s dynamic pricing and seat assignment policies violate state consumer protection laws.

FIFA defended its dynamic pricing model for the 2026 World Cup, citing “extraordinary” demand and arguing that it aligns with standard practices in North American sports and entertainment markets, where ticket prices often fluctuate with demand. 

Where Borders Meet the Pitch

But accessibility to the World Cup extends beyond ticket prices. The tournament’s multi-country — and sometimes multi-continental — format also poses financial challenges for fans, particularly those hoping to follow their favorite teams or players.

FIFA first implemented this format for the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan, though later tournaments took place in single host countries. It has since renewed this format for the 2026 World Cup and plans to continue it for the 2030 World Cup. 

Clift said the format increases travel demands and costs for fans, noting that moving between cities and potentially across multiple borders adds significant expenses beyond tickets, including flights, accommodation, ground transportation and visa requirements.

“This year, the tournament has been celebrated for its multinational hosting, but doing so adds considerable complexity and cost for fans,” Clift said. “That additional cost places the games further out of reach — an irony of the inclusive vision of the tri-hosts.”

Additionally, host country immigration and customs policies can impact World Cup accessibility. In the case of the 2026 tournament, for example, U.S. policies have affected access for some international supporters and, in some cases, players and officials.

Recent U.S. immigration measures tied to the World Cup have led to longer visa processing and screening times for some fans and have raised concerns about delays and uncertainty for some players, officials and team staff.

Fans from Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire faced significant travel restrictions under a partial travel ban that effectively prevented those without existing visas from attending 2026 World Cup matches in the U.S., though athletes, coaches and officials were exempt.

Iran’s participation in the 2026 World Cup was complicated by visa and immigration restrictions that forced short, match-based stays in the U.S. and limited access for some staff, disrupting normal training and preparation.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection also denied entry to Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan after additional vetting and screening raised unspecified concerns, which ultimately led FIFA to remove him from the 2026 World Cup officiating list. 

Clift said U.S. immigration and customs policies for the 2026 World Cup have given the country a reputation that is making international travelers more cautious, with some delaying bookings or reconsidering travel plans due to visa and entry concerns.

Those concerns, combined with high ticket costs and the logistical and financial challenges that fans face traveling across three countries for matches, have led to weaker-than-expected hotel demand in some U.S. World Cup host cities compared with parts of Canada and Mexico.

Clift said this ultimately exacerbates the World Cup’s accessibility issues as hotels are filling fewer rooms but raising prices on those they do sell to maximize revenue, making the tournament less affordable for average fans.

A New Game Plan For Access

FIFA has several options available if it genuinely wants to improve accessibility, according to Clift, who emphasized that its current pricing strategy is a choice rather than an inevitability. “They don’t have to embrace a dynamic pricing model. They choose to.”

Clift said FIFA could improve accessibility by reducing reliance on dynamic pricing and limiting ticket resale, arguing that speculative buying by third-party resellers drives up prices and creates confusion between official sellers and secondary marketplaces.

He also argued that giving more tickets to national federations and supporters’ groups could allow countries to distribute tickets at prices more appropriate for their citizens and local economic conditions, making attendance more attainable for ordinary supporters.

“The social and economic realities are different for each country. If ticket allocation is tied more directly to national supporters, it feels more accessible than paying a U.S.-based global market rate,” Clift said.

Clift added that market-rate pricing is a natural fit for a World Cup in the U.S., where sports fans are accustomed to high ticket prices. Even so, he said the backlash to 2026 pricing could prompt future host countries to advocate for more affordable tickets. 

FIFA may have little incentive to rethink its approach, however, if the tournament produces record attendance and revenue. Such results could reinforce the organization’s belief that market-based pricing works, despite criticism over affordability. 

As for immigration and customs, Clift suggested that “there’s no shortage of ways to make the World Cup more accessible” — the real question is whether FIFA and host countries have the social, cultural, economic and political will to use the tools already available to reduce or even remove travel barriers when issues arise.

Whether that could be done is complicated, largely due to socio-political dynamics. It depends on who’s in power and what their political priorities are, according to Clift. But, as he said, “if there’s political will, many challenges can be resolved quickly.”

Clift cited the 2026 World Cup visa issue impacting Cape Verde’s goalkeeper Josimar ‘Vozinha’ Évora Dias. His mother initially couldn’t attend the World Cup because U.S. visa processing delays and appointment backlogs appeared to make it impossible to get her travel visa in time. 

However, after the situation gained attention, FIFA and U.S. officials, including State Department representatives, stepped in to expedite her application so she could travel to the U.S. and attend later matches.