Empty seats during the World Cup game between Brazil and Morocco in New Jersey highlight a growing concern. Yet Fifa still insists the tournament is 'for everyone,' even as vast sections of the stadium fill only with those who can absorb eye-watering prices.
The Cost of Exclusion
The eye-watering ticket prices, like the cost of housing, reflect the divide between rich people and others, writes Richard Eltringham. World Cup tickets now tell the same story as housing: priced so far beyond ordinary people that even Mexico's president said she skipped the opening match because the seats were simply too expensive. When a head of state publicly admits she can't justify the cost, what chance does a normal supporter have?
Yet Fifa still insists the tournament is 'for everyone,' even as vast sections of the stadium fill only with those who can absorb eye‑watering prices. Television pundits try to sound sympathetic, but it's hard to take them seriously when they casually reference the fortunes they earned from the same industry that priced supporters out.
A Wider Divide
It mirrors the wider divide: those who glide between premium events and premium postcodes, and those told to accept whatever scraps remain. In a world living beyond its means, it's remarkable that tensions don't flare more often. A functioning society needs housing and public life that people can actually afford.
Richard Eltringham, Leicester
