World Cup called 'actually embarrassing' on day one of tournament
The World Cup has officially kicked off after a huge amount of anticipation and excitement, even if the focus has been off the pitch in recent weeks.
It's long been known that the USA, Mexico and Canada would be joint hosts of the World Cup, but that has led to significant controversy thanks to the travel restrictions imposed by Donald Trump last year.
We've known for some time that fans from Haiti and Iran wouldn't be able to travel to see their teams play, while supporters from several other countries, many of which are in Africa, have also had their visas denied.
It's not just limited to the fans either, as members of staff from Iran's team have been denied entry to the US amid their ongoing war, while a Somalian referee also heartbreakingly had his chance to officiate at the World Cup taken away after he was turned away.
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Hopefully now it will be the action on the pitch which dominates news, with Mexico kicking things off with a victory against 9-man South Africa in the opening game last night, before South Korea produced a comeback victory against Czech Republic in the other Group A fixture.
And it's there where fans have started to call the tournament 'embarrassing' already, as while the opener was unsurprisingly a sell-out for Mexico as the hosts, the other group game had more than its fair share of empty seats.
Unfortunately, it seems as if the sky-high prices of tickets, as well as the fees that people are being forced to spend on travel, accommodation and beer at the games, is putting a lot of people off.
FIFA is already facing legal action in the US over allegations it 'artificially inflated prices' and 'misled fans' for the sale of tickets, and nearly 200,000 tickets for the matches remain unsold, with millions of fans sadly priced out of supporting their team.
One said: “So many empty seats at this World Cup game… wonder why that is?“
Another added: “The amount of empty seats is simply insane. Very poor from Fifa.”
One X user posted: "FIFA really priced out the fans and now the stadium looks like a midweek Europa League game. Empty seats at the World Cup is actually embarrassing."
Considering the astronomical price of a beer in most stadiums, I think a lot of England fans would prefer to watch from home...
How much does it cost to attend the World Cup?
Football fans wanting to watch the games in person better have deep pockets. Here’s what flights, accommodation, tickets and food and drink will cost England supporters:
Getting there
If you fancied catching England’s opening game against Croatia next Wednesday (17 June), a return flight from London to Dallas, Texas would set you back around £700, according to Skyscanner.
The second and third games are a little cheaper to get to - £400 if you want to watch the Three Lions go up against Ghana in Boston on 23 June, and £500 to see them play Panama in New York on 27 June.
But now you need somewhere to stay.
Hotel costs
NBC has crunched the numbers on hotels, looking at the average for the five cheapest hotels within 15 miles of the station as of late last month.
In Atlanta for the opening match, the average hotel room is £350 for two nights, and that’s on the cheap side.
A hotel to watch the second game in the group stages in Boston will cost £725, and the third in New York will be £485.
Now to get your ticket for the game…
Ticket prices
Tickets for the opening game against Croatia are still available and going from £430, via Seatpick.
England vs Ghana will set you back at least £330, and the match against Panama £250.
I bet all that number crunching has made you thirsty…
Food and drink prices at the World Cup
Unlike in the UK, football fans are allowed to drink in the stands in the US, Canada and Mexico - if they’re made of money, that is.
Prices at a warm-up match between England and New Zealand at the Raymond James stadium in Tampa, Florida on Saturday (6 June) might give an indication of what to expect in the World Cup proper, which is bad news for fans.
A large beer was advertised at $18.75 (£13.99), while just a bottle of water was priced at $7.50 (£5.60).
Meanwhile, according to Football Ground Guide, a basic meal and a beer will set you back $23.88 (£17.83) at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas, where England’s first game will take place.
For England’s second game at the Boston Stadium (also known as the Gillette Stadium), according to Football 2026 hot dogs are going from £6.30, while burgers will set you back £10.45.
Meanwhile, a basic meal and a beer at the MetLife Stadium for England’s match against Panama will cost you £24.87.
James Moorhouse