Mexico will make history this summer as the first country to host the World Cup three times, but the excitement over that record is not reflected among Mexican fans.
Francisco Javier Ferreira remembers the two World Cups held in his home country in 1970 and 1986, but he will not be able to play in the third. The 70-year-old said the high price of tickets for the 13 games to be played on Mexican soil, the difficulty in obtaining tickets and the limited number of games allocated to Mexico as third host nation dampened his excitement as a fan.
“Given Mexico’s economic realities, only those with the most means will be able to enter,” he said.
Of the 104 matches at this year’s World Cup, four will be played in Monterrey, four in Guadalajara and five at the newly renovated Banorte Stadium in Mexico City, including the opening match between Mexico and South Africa.
When FIFA released the second round of tickets in April, prices for the first leg in Mexico on June 11 ranged from $3,000 to $10,000. The exorbitant ticket prices are out of reach for most Mexicans like Ferreira, who is retired and earns an average of $1,000 a month.
“It doesn’t feel the same as the previous two World Cups. This World Cup is basically American, it doesn’t feel Mexican. Even the ticket prices are out of reach for everyone, so I feel that way,” he laments.
This year’s tournament has come under increasing criticism from fans over ticket prices. When FIFA released a new set of official tickets for the World Cup finals at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey last week, they went on sale for $10,990 each, according to the Associated Press.
On FIFA’s own resale market, the cheapest standard tickets for the finals are currently listed for just under $11,000, with some lower-tier tickets for the finals valued at nearly $3 million apiece. FIFA does not control the asking prices on this portal, and existing ticket holders can essentially charge whatever they want. However, FIFA receives a 15% cut from both the buyer and seller sides.
Asked about ticket prices in Mexico, FIFA said it had “established a ticket sales and secondary market model that reflects standard ticket market practices for major sporting and entertainment events across host countries.”
World Cup final tickets resold for $2 million
FIFA also added that it is also offering tickets starting at $60, with at least 1,000 tickets in that price range made available for each match, including the final, and specially allocated to supporters of teams that have qualified through their respective national associations.
It’s unclear how many of those $60 tickets were purchased by Mexican fans for domestic games. FIFA has not released figures on how many tickets in the lowest price range have been sold or charged.
Mexico City’s Estadio Banorte (formerly known as Estadio Azteca) has reopened after a 22-month renovation. The renovations included installing a new hybrid pitch, LED screen system, CCTV, new seating and increasing spectator capacity from 82,000 to 86,000. However, attending matches at this stadium during the World Cup is no longer affordable for many people.
Alain Rea attended the restart at the Estadio Banorte with his one-year-old son in his arms. He admitted that his dream of taking him to the World Cup ended when he couldn’t get tickets. Still, he remained upbeat and decided to share his experience of seeing the renovated stadium during the international friendly match between Mexico and Portugal on March 28th.
“I think I had to play the whole World Cup, not just the 13 games in Mexico, but I’m going to make the most of every game that comes up anyway,” he said after taking a selfie outside the stadium before entering.
The reopening of Mexico City’s stadium, one of the largest in the world, also caused disappointment. City officials described the “test run” as positive, but fans said otherwise. The stadium was not yet fully completed, there was no public parking access, and driver entry was restricted to “special guests.”
As a result, the approximately 82,000 spectators who attended that Saturday were forced to walk approximately 2 kilometers, and access points were clogged even for those who had arrived an hour early for the friendly. The match ended in a scoreless draw, but there was no incident; a 26-year-old fan died after being drunk and falling from the box seating area.
Officials have repeatedly said this will be a great World Cup, but safety remains one of the main concerns for tourists. Mexico has recently seen scenes of violence at cartel barricades following the Feb. 22 arrest of Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, the founder of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. There were tense moments on April 27, when a car was set on fire after the arrest of Oseguera’s alleged successor, known as “El Jardinero,” in Nayarit state.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino reinforced security concerns when he visited the National Palace on March 30 after meeting with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.
“Are there safety conditions for the millions of foreign tourists who will visit Mexico for the World Cup?” President Claudia Sheinbaum was asked at a morning press conference following these events.
Mexico faces huge challenges, and the reality contrasts with the image that authorities are trying to project of this World Cup as a celebration.
As proof of this, the demonstrations that took place outside the stadium when it reopened included participants denouncing the extinction of the country.
The youth also organized a pickup soccer match on one of the main access roads, blocking vehicular traffic heading to the stadium. Their complaint was the lack of water and affordable housing in Mexico’s capital. Rent prices in Mexico City have skyrocketed due to the World Cup, and many apartments have been converted to short-term rentals. Young people say this World Cup has “become elitist”.
Domestic issues are far more pressing than hosting the World Cup, and the mood of celebration appears to have waned.
