Gianni Infantino has already been hailing 2026 as the best World Cup ever. Unsurprising; Fifa always do this, regardless of the reality, but there’s one element beyond doubt. It’ll be the most expensive. By far. Estimated costs for fans following their team through to the final range from $10,000 to $35,000. That’s including tickets, trains, the lot.
For the fifth episode of Copa Independent, we’re diving into how it got to this. How were these decisions made? What are the justifications, and what does it all mean for football, both now and the future? The potential consequences are vast, because while this is, on one level, a simple rip-off story, it’s also much more. The shocking ticket prices have been the signature story that sums up, but also raises further questions for the role of Fifa.
