It is the pinnacle of international football, but World Cup costs are spiralling out of control for football fans and anyone else heading to the States this summer. While people have already been hit with soaring train tickets for the tournament, now Britons could have to cough up over $1,000 for just one night in a host city hotel room.
Reports emerged in April that train prices from New York to MetLife Stadium this summer could rise from $12.90 (£9.60) to more than $100 (£74.30). The home of the New York Jets and Giants will host eight matches during the tournament, including the final on July 19, and fans will be hit with an astonishing hike of 775 per cent.
In a further hit to Brits hoping to see the games and hopefully England in the US, supporters are being charged up to $10,990 (£8,333) for tickets to the final. Now analysis from the Daily Mail reveals that hotel prices in America are skyrocketing.
New data from Kayak shows a 104 per cent increase in Kansas City compared to last year, with an average of $373 (£277) per night in 2026. As the World Cup kicks off this month, British football fans may have to cough up for tickets, trains, flights and hotels. Elsewhere, New York hotel prices have increased by 34 per cent compared to last year, averaging at $411 (£305.30). Prices in Philadelphia have risen 61 per cent.
Kayak also highlighted there has been a 27 per cent increase in hotel searches, but will Brits be shocked by the prices when they go to book? Research by the Daily Mail looked into how much it would cost for one guest to stay the night of the first game at each American stadium, at one of the nearest hotels to the venue.
The highest price found was at Hampton Inn Carlstadt-At The Meadowlands, located just a three-minute drive from MetLife Stadium. Brits could have to cough up from $1,035 (£768.80) to stay from June 13 to 14. But if they stayed a week earlier, on a non-game night, rooms are priced from $392 (£291.20) for June 6 to 7, showing a 164 per cent increase.
But the highest percentage increase in price was found in Houston, where Wingate Houston costs from $408.33 (£303.33) to stay overnight on June 14. The week before is priced from just $92.43 (£68.66) to stay on June 7 to 8, a 341.8 per cent increase. To stay in the Hampton Inn Carlstadt-At The Meadowlands, nearby MetLife Stadium, on the evening of the first game hosted there could cost from $1,035 (£768.80).
Dallas was another destination that saw large increases in price, going from $259 (£192.40) to stay at the Loews Arlington Hotel from June 7 to 8 and soaring to $809 (£600.96) to stay from June 14 to 15, a 212 per cent rise. While over in Seattle, the Silver Cloud Hotel Stadium costs from $379 (£281.54) to stay June 15 to 16. But the week before, June 8 to 9, is priced from $159 (£118.11), a 138.4 per cent increase.
The Daily Mail approached Hampton Inn Carlstadt-At The Meadowlands, Wingate Houston, Loews Arlington Hotel and the Silver Cloud Hotel Stadium for comment. Aside from hotel costs, Brits will have to spend upwards of around $800 (£594.28) for a return flight to many of the host cities in America, according to average prices for 2026 calculated by Kayak.
In Boston, for example, where the UK is the second top origin country, it could set Brits back around $946 (£702.73) for a return economy trip. Elsewhere, Miami costs on average $914 (£678.96), and Atlanta $889 (£660.38). Previous major football tournaments have not always seen such high prices; for example, the average price for a hotel in Germany during Euro 2024 was just £117. But when Qatar hosted the World Cup back in 2022, prices did average a more costly £677.
From surging hotel prices to costly transport to get to the stadium, there has been plenty of backlash as the big event approaches. A night at Wingate Houston costs from $408.33 (£303.33) to stay on June 14, up from just $92.43 (£68.66) the week before. On the train ticket cost increase in New York, Governor Kathy Hochul and Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer both spoke out.
FIFA is set to reap nearly $11 billion from this summer's World Cup, yet New York area commuters and residents are being handed the bill, Schumer, a New York senator who is also minority leader of the Senate, said in a statement. NJ Transit may be forced to charge fans an eye-popping $100-plus for a train ride that normally costs $13, because FIFA's hosting agreement dumps added transportation and security costs onto states and cities while FIFA keeps the revenue from tickets, broadcasting, and concessions. That is not a partnership, that is a shakedown because World Cup tickets already cost fans a fortune. I am calling on FIFA to step up and cover transportation costs for host cities and states.
Hochul echoed those sentiments, writing on social media: The World Cup should be as affordable and accessible as possible. Charging over $100 for a short train ride sounds awfully high to me. At the time, a spokesperson for NJ Transit told the Athletic: The ticket prices for match day travel have not been finalized and any reference to cost would be unconfirmed speculation. However, as the Governor clearly stated at an earlier press conference this morning with NJ Transit, the cost for the eight matches will not be borne by our regular commuters.
Kayak highlighted there has been a 27 per cent increase in hotel searches for the World Cup. On match tickets, the pricing system put in place by FIFA is variable, with the cost of tickets fluctuating based on demand. Wednesday night's open sale for the final, and 17 of the 72 group matches, disclosed that category two tickets had risen 32 per cent to $7,380 (£5,596), and category three tickets were priced at $5,785 (£4,386), a 38 per cent increase. The top three category prices were all substantially higher than the cost of the most expensive seat at the 2022 Qatar World Cup final which was the equivalent of $1,604 (£1,214). The £8,333 ticket is a massive hike on the $1,550 (£1,174) that was promised as the maximum price in the US, Canada and Mexico's initial bid for the tournament. The open sale was the final chance to buy directly from FIFA before the resale market opened. Hotel prices correct as of May 29, 2026.
