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

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.

Organisers have at least attempted to