Admission passes for the World Cup reached as much as seven times the amounts organizers initially projected and exceeded those from earlier events.

Business Insider reviewed admission rates, financial statistics, transport charges, and additional journey expenses to produce five visuals demonstrating the high expense of attending the World Cup.

This marks the first occasion the United States has staged the planet's premier athletic competition since 1994, with the five-week event now past its midpoint.

For current admission rates, the focus was on those offered by FIFA during April in its initial general-entry open offering, known as the Last-Minute Sales Phase.

Certain fortunate supporters secured passes sooner via three random draws. Starting in December, they were also obtainable via a participating members association, or PMA, the soccer authority in each qualifying nation or territory.

Qualification rules came from the PMAs and differed by location, though they generally required dedicated followers who had already seen multiple matches. Rates were established by FIFA.

World Cup admissions fall into four tiers according to seating position inside the venue.

For the championship match this year, a Category 1 pass reached $10,990 during the April open offering.

Across the prior seven World Cups, an equivalent pass ranged from $988 to $1,783 after inflation adjustment, drawn from period news accounts and FIFA announcements.

FIFA set aside 1,000 passes, roughly 2 percent of each venue's seating, for all 104 matches at $60 each. These were allocated by PMAs and reserved for the most dedicated followers.

Admission rates increase seven times over

A major complaint among supporters involves the vast difference from the figures the United States, Canada, and Mexico presented in their joint 2026 hosting proposal.

The formal submission to FIFA, referred to as the bid book, indicated the lowest-cost passes would start at $21, with the highest, aside from premium suites, being a Category 1 pass for the final at $1,550.

These numbers were contrasted with those from April's open offering and with passes distributed by PMAs through a more involved method that often recognized loyalty.

For instance, dedicated Scotland supporters needed attendance at five away fixtures or 10 home games for a strong prospect in the Scottish Football Association draw.

Even the devoted followers who obtained a scarce $60 pass paid nearly three times the bid book baseline.

While a $60 pass for the final was possible instead of the suggested $128 starting point, all remaining options cost more.

For final passes via PMAs, Category 3 climbed from a proposed $695 to about $4,000, and Category 1 rose from $1,550 to $8,680.

By April's open offering, those rates had climbed by several thousand dollars further.

The opening round

The World Cup opened with the group phase, where each squad played three matches in a round-robin setup.

Passes for this stage were the most affordable, though rates have varied across editions.

In the April open offering, the lowest available for 2026 stood at $140 in Category 3.

After inflation adjustment, that figure is nearly double the equivalent tier from the 2022 World Cup yet similar to the 2018 edition.

Meanwhile, top-tier passes have climbed notably. Category 1 began at $450 in the April phase, an 84 percent rise from the prior World Cup.

The top two teams from each of the 12 groups, along with eight third-place sides, advance to the Round of 32.

From that point forward, it is victory or elimination, with pass prices rising at every subsequent stage as the competition intensifies.

Worldwide disparities

The expanded format enabled four lower-ranked sides to reach their debut World Cup: Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan. Haiti and DR Congo also returned for the first time since 1974.

Nevertheless, passes remained out of reach for most residents in several nations.

When Business Insider examined FIFA's final sales phase in late April, the lowest-cost pass to watch Haiti neared $2,300, equaling nearly 90 percent of that nation's GDP per person.

Supporters from nations with strong soccer traditions may also face challenges.

For Brazil, which has appeared in every World Cup and secured a record five titles, the cheapest pass was $770, roughly one month's typical income based on its GDP per person of $10,685.

At the opposite end, the lowest pass to see Switzerland cost $380, slightly above one day's earnings given that nation's GDP per person of about $115,000.

Transport charges differ greatly

Even for those who secured a pass, additional expenses vary widely by match location and can include meals, local travel, flights, and lodging.

With more teams participating, the number of host cities has grown to two in Canada, three in Mexico, and 11 in the United States.

While most cities kept standard local transit rates, several raised fares during the event.

The highest public transit costs appeared in South Florida, where Brightline charged as much as $151 for a round-trip between Miami and Aventura on game days, compared with about $24 on non-game days.

New Jersey Transit set a round-trip rail fare at $98 between Manhattan's Penn Station and MetLife Stadium, which hosts eight matches including the final, versus a usual $12.90.

Supporters in Boston faced an $80 round-trip train ticket to Gillette Stadium, up from $20 on NFL days or $8.75 normally.

Some Scotland fans chose to stay in Providence, Rhode Island, and arranged school buses for stadium travel.

In Philadelphia, the host committee teamed with Airbnb to provide free Metro rides after matches, which normally cost $2.90 each way.

In comments to Business Insider, FIFA stated it aims to provide fair access for current and future supporters.

It highlighted the $60 passes and noted that its flexible pricing follows patterns seen in other sports and entertainment fields.

FIFA operates as a nonprofit and directs revenue toward developing men's, women's, and youth soccer among its 211 member associations.