The $30 million toe in the water

Fans are choosing to stay home due to record-high ticket prices, expensive travel across vast host nations, and concerns about entering the United States.

The tournament's organization, including a resale policy that allows price gouging and the absence of free intercity transport , is making attendance less accessible than in previous years, prompting fans to seek alternative viewing options.

Football fans are once again preparing to travel across continents to support their national teams in the world's biggest sporting event, the FIFA World Cup.

Why 4,000 unsold units became the prize

Hotel reservations have been lower than anticipated in many U.S. host cities , with the president of a travel agency association in football-loving Uruguay reporting they have organized packages for only about 3,000 fans, a figure significantly lower than for recent World Cups.

The ability to travel and take weeks off work to support one's team has always skewed toward wealthier fans, but past tournaments remained accessible to supporters who sometimes saved for years.

At the 2022 Qatar World Cup,the cheapest Category 3 group stage tickets cost $69. This time, FIFA has been selling them for up to $265.

An echo of Sydney's 2024 institutional buy-up

FIFA previously did not allow fans to resell tickets above face value on its official platform, but this time it is encouraging fans to resell at whatever price they choose, with FIFA taking a 30% commission.

Tomonori Akutsu, living outside Tokyo, said that had he known how expensive this tournament would be when he started planning, he might have reconsidered attending his sixth consecutive World Cup.

He bluntly considers the United States the worst host ever, accusing organizers of demonstrating a 'complete lack of hospitality in every aspect,' citing ticket prices,an inflated resale market, expensive hotels, and paid fan festivals.

Who is the unnamed buyer?

FIFA did not respond to a request for comment , but has previously defended ticket prices as reflecting 'record demand.'

Mike Wilson, an IT professional based in London, has attended four World Cups over the past two decades. This summer, he is choosing to stay in Europe and watch parts of the tournament from a beach in Portugal.

Argentine doctor Emiliano Becerra is a dedicated follower of his national team through every knockout stage. This time, he will attend two matches at the start of the tournament before flying home.