2026 World Cup may lose emotional appeal, fans backing out – Tsoho

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Abdulkarim Tsoho, a sports analyst from Kano, has issued a warning that the escalating expenses associated with attending the 2026 FIFA World Cup may diminish the tournament’s emotional allure. This concern arises as an increasing number of football fans report that they can no longer afford to experience the event in person.

Tsoho, in an exclusive interview stated that the World Cup has traditionally been centered on ordinary fans. However, the current costs of tickets and travel threaten to make this global football spectacle accessible only to a select few.

“World Cup has always drawn its meaning from ordinary supporters, local fans who save for years, travelling fans who cross continents, families attending their first major match, students, workers, migrants, and diaspora communities who bring noise, colour, rituals and memory into the stadium,” he said.

“When prices rise beyond reasonable reach, the competition risks becoming less democratic and less intimate. The crowd may still be full, but the social mix changes. That means there will be less emotion attached to it,” he emphasized.

His comments occur during a time of intensifying criticism from supporters’ groups across Europe and beyond regarding what they characterize as exorbitant ticket prices for the tournament to be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Football Supporters Europe (FSE) recently lodged a formal complaint with the European Commission against FIFA. The complaint alleges that FIFA abuses its monopoly by setting ticket prices without adequately consulting fans.

Supported by the consumer rights organization Euroconsumers, the complaint contended that despite FIFA’s subsequent release of a few tickets priced around $60, the availability of these tickets was so limited and their acquisition so challenging that for most fans, this offer held no value.

“FIFA point to their unconfirmed sales figures as validation of their unfair ticket practices, while the reality is they leave loyal fans with no other choice — pay up or lose out,” he said.

Nigerian fans already backing out

Before ticket sales have even completely launched, the expense of going to the tournament is already unattainable for numerous Nigerian fans.

Ahmad Bello, a football fan from Kano, stated that although he had been planning for years to go to a World Cup, he has now given up on the idea due to the costs involved.

“I initially wanted to go because I missed the last World Cup in Qatar due to my wedding, so I planned to attend this one,” he said.

“But with the current economic challenges and the high cost of tickets, flights and accommodation, I decided not to go. It is just too much money to watch a match. I upgraded my TV to 75 inches instead so I can enjoy the games from home.”

Another advocate, Shehu Usman Salihu, stated that he realized right away the tournament would be too costly when the host countries were revealed.

For Faisal Billa, the ambiance of watching with friends at home has become a preferable choice compared to going abroad. “Why will I spend that much money on the World Cup when I can watch it at my local viewing centre?” he said.

“It is always fun watching with my friends. If I travel there, who will I share the experience with? I cannot afford to pay for everyone to go with me.”

The cost of travel might be a greater issue than that of tickets.

Tsoho pointed out that the difficulty lies not just in the cost of individual match tickets, but in the overall expense of attending a tournament that takes place across three major countries. “Even where supporters find a match ticket, the real cost of attending the 2026 World Cup will often be much higher than the ticket value. Fans must pay for flights, visas, travel between cities, accommodation, food and local transport,” he said.

“Because the tournament will take place across North America, travelling between host cities can be far more expensive than previous World Cups held in one country.”

He noted that fans from Africa, Asia, and Latin America might be the most impacted, cautioning that while the tournament could still yield financial success, it might culturally diverge.

“Financially, FIFA may do very well, but culturally the World Cup risks becoming a luxury spectacle,” he said.

“Football calls itself universal, but universality also means ordinary people must be able to enter the stadium. A World Cup without ordinary fans may still look big on television, but it may feel less authentic.” tsoho emphasized.

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