Commentary: Fans attending World Cup 2026 face an epic, expensive voyage

Commentary: Fans attending World Cup 2026 face an epic, expensive voyage What should be a celebration of football may be a nightmare of costs and logistics for fans flying to North America, says sports writer Michael Church. HONG KONG: Fans travelling to the World Cup, which kicks off today (Jun 11), are about to embark on an epic voyage. Those determined to watch the final at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Jul 19 would have traversed thousands of kilometres across the vast landmass of North America. This is the result of having three nations - Canada, Mexico and the United States - host the tournament. From Vancouver and Seattle to San Francisco and Los Angeles, down to Mexico City; then heading east to Miami and up to New York and Boston, the 2026 World Cup will take place on an unprecedented scale. It takes roughly 6 hours to fly from Vancouver to Mexico City, or from San Francisco to Boston. All of this is without considering the costs involved for supporters. Some estimates predict that a fan seeking to spend the entire tournament in the three host nations and travelling along with their national team from their first game to the final will spend up to US$30,000 on flights, accommodation, tickets and more. This makes the 2026 World Cup the most expensive and the most expansive in history. Without bottomless pockets, it is more cost-effective for attendees to stay in one city for the majority of the World Cup and use that as a hub. Even then it is expensive. Staying in a short-term rental in a city like Dallas, the venue hosting the largest number of matches, will cost an average of US$250 per night. That's about an eye-watering US$9,000 for a five-week stay. Opting for cheaper alternatives brings other issues, such as limited availability and inconvenience. In a region where driving is virtually essential, the expenses increase further once car rental or taxi use is factored in. LONG TREKS FOR PLAYERS Organisers have at least attempted to limit cross-country travel, at least in the group phase with teams gathered together in clusters to reduce the need to embark on lengthy journeys. This has been done primarily with the players in mind. That’s not to say the distances involved are insignificant. South Africa, for example, will have to travel more than 2,000km from Mexico City, where they will open the tournament against the co-host, to face Czechia in their second Group A match in Atlanta, Georgia. They will then travel to Guadalupe, Mexico to play their third group match against South Korea. Of course, teams will operate out of their own centralised training bases, using these as hubs to fly in and out with as little disruption as possible. But long journeys may mount once the competition reaches the knockout rounds. While winners may be able to stay close to their group base, others who lose may be adding up the air miles. WORLD CUP LOOKS TO GROW MORE MASSIVE It contrasts wildly with the most recent edition of the tournament, when tiny Qatar - a country that is only 80km wide and 160km long - hosted the finals in 2022. The Gulf state was on the receiving end of intense criticism from the moment it was awarded the hosting rights in late 2010. What could not be disputed, particularly on hindsight, was the fan-friendly nature of the tournament itself. Getting around in Qatar was easy for supporters. From the centre of Doha, none of the stadiums was further than 90 minutes away on free public transport that ran until the wee hours of the morning. Logistically, it was a dream. So convenient were the venues to one another that going to two matches in one day became commonplace for those with the time, money and inclination to do so. Remarkably, some attempted to squeeze in four matches in one day. Indeed, Qatar was a one-off. Previous World Cup tournaments have presented their own logistical issues; from the vastness of Russia in 2018 to the lack of sufficient travel infrastructure in Brazil in 2014, most travelling fans accept there will be complications. The 2030 edition - the centenary World Cup - will be hosted in six countries on either side of the Atlantic Ocean with the opening matches played in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay before the tournament switches to Spain, Portugal and Morocco. What should be a celebration of the sport and its history, will turn into a nightmare of cost and logistics for those dedicated fans who have not already been bankrupted by the financial demands of the 2026 finals. Michael Church is a sports journalist with over 30 years of experience covering Asian football.