The Price Isn't Right

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The Price Isn't Right 

What’s going on: Less than 60 days from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and fans are giving out more red cards than a referee who skipped breakfast. One stadium renovation still isn’t finished, leaving the opening match in limbo — sound familiar? Then there’s the ticket mess that triggers full-on Ticketmaster trauma. Fans who paid up to thousands of dollars for prime seats say they ended up in corners, behind goals, or farther from the action than promised. FIFA added insult to injury after it unveiled a brand-new ticket category, with seats in the first few rows of lower-level sections. The price? Raised to nearly 50% of the original cost in some cases. Not exactly golden behavior. As one fan told The Athletic, many feel misled, confused, or just scammed. FIFA pushed back, citing strong demand and pointing the finger at host nations for distribution issues. Talk about a punt. 

Our take: It’s been a minute since the US last hosted the World Cup in 1994 — when tickets ran $25 to $475. Even the Brazil vs. Italy final topped out around $1,500 (about $3,300 today). And it’s not just soccer. The Athletic reports that the average cost to attend an NFL or MLB game has jumped more than 300% since the early ‘90s — FIFA just took that trend and cranked it to 11. We love when global soccer gets its moment in the US spotlight — even if we’re really counting down to the women’s tournament. But no one asked FIFA to make it this inaccessible. The upside? Host cities will have watch parties and free events throughout — arguably just as fun to root against your enemies or for your adopted team. And if you really need to scratch the pitch itch? Tickets for the first-place San Diego Wave (and plenty of other NWSL teams) are still under $75. Just sayin. 

Related: The US Soccer Federation Really Didn’t Need This Shakeup (USA Today)

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Timeout...

Our Well Played co-hosts and friends of the show tackle listener Qs.

Give me the highlights from the WNBA Draft…

UConn’s Azzi Fudd went number one to the Dallas Wings to reunite with her former teammate (and girlfriend?) Paige Bueckers. With back-to-back seasons of No. 1 draft picks plus strong free agency moves, the Wings might be the team to watch this year. The biggest head-scratcher came when the Golden State Valkyries selected Flau’jae Johnson, only to trade her rights for Marta Suárez. It was a bold move that raised questions about what the team’s long-term strategy is. But the real highlight? The looks. Every draftee showed up and showed out on the orange carpet, with some players sporting more than one look that night (this player’s nail tech deserves a raise).

PS: Check out our orange carpet coverage here.

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No Notes

Skimm’d by: Mallory Simon, Jordan Galloway, and Maria del Carmen Corpus. Fact-checked by Barbara Kean.