Some of the most dedicated World Cup fans skipping this year’s tournament, citing costs and politics

Football fans will soon crisscross continents to see their beloved national teams compete on the sport’s grandest stage, the World Cup. 

They’ll pack bars and fan zones, singing chants and debating who is going to win it all.

This time, however, it’s different for some superfans, who say organizers have made this summer’s World Cup the least welcoming one they have experienced. 

Ticket prices, expensive cross-country travel, and concerns about entering the US have prompted some of them to stay home.

London-based IT worker Mike Wilson has been to four World Cups over the past 20 years. 

This summer, he’ll be staying in Europe and watching part of the tournament from a Portuguese beach.

Argentine doctor Emiliano Becerra likes to follow his team through every step of the elimination round. 

This time he’ll attend two early matches and then fly home.

Dutch-born finance manager Peter Bergakker flew to South Africa to watch the Netherlands play in the 2010 World Cup final. 

But no matter how far the “Oranje” advance this summer, he said he won’t travel to the US.

Exactly how many fans are staying away is unclear, but the warning signs are there.

Hotel bookings have been lighter than expected in many US host cities. 

Meanwhile, the president of the travel agency association in football-mad Uruguay said they have arranged tour packages for about 3,000 fans, significantly fewer than those who attended recent World Cups.

The number of fans able to travel and take weeks off of work to cheer on their team during the World Cup understandably skews to the wealthy. 

But previous tournaments have remained accessible for fans who, in some cases, would save for years for their flights and match tickets.

Four years ago, lower-tier Category 3 tickets to group stage matches were US$69. 

This year, FIFA has been selling them for as much as US$265.

“Simply, my impression is ‘this is America,’ the ultimate capitalism,” Akutsu said.

Becerra, of Argentina, spent $1,100 to see Argentina defeat France in the 2022 final in Qatar. For the past three World Cups, he followed Argentina through the knockout stages.

Not this time.

This year, he paid even more — US$1,200 — for a resale ticket to see Argentina’s match against low-ranked Jordan in Dallas.

“It’s absolutely crazy – it’s just a group stage match,” said Becerra, a 64-year-old ophthalmologist who lives in Neuquén, in northern Patagonia.

Becerra will head home before the knockout stage begins. The prices, he said, are “just not possible for me.”

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