When Mike Trucano in Virginia heard the men's World Cup soccer tournament would be back in the U.S. next year, he and his family were thrilled.
"We were just so excited that it was coming," Trucano says.
Trucano is a bit of a soccer obsessive. He's been to every World Cup since 1994, when the U.S. last hosted the tournament, a stretch of eight tournaments that has taken him all over the world — from South Korea to South Africa.
He's seen some awesome games and goals. There was that famous one Landon Donovan scored against Algeria in the dying minutes of a game in South Africa in 2010 that secured America's place in the playoffs. Or Brian McBride's goal against Portugal in a game the U.S. won in South Korea in 2002.
So Trucano planned to take his wife, two kids and his 80-year-old dad to next year's World Cup, hosted by the U.S., along with Canada and Mexico. That's before Trucano saw the prices FIFA would be charging for this World Cup.
Most seats in the opening round of the tournament will cost at least several hundred dollars, with a tiny section of the stadiums available at $60. That's significantly higher than at the last World Cup in Qatar when prices at the same stage of the tournament ranged from about $11 to just over $200.
Games for the U.S. men's national team are even more expensive. Many of the seats for the first U.S. game will cost over $2,700 — a lot more than the most expensive ticket for the final in Qatar.
Trucano was stunned.
"I mean, my word, if it's five of us and it's $1,000 ... and $5,000 in this economy?" Trucano says. "In a great economy that's a no-go, let alone the economy we have right now."
FIFA is also trying other things
Prices rise even more in the later stages of the tournament, jumping to thousands of dollars for a handful of the playoff games. Many seats for the final in New Jersey will cost over $6,300, exponentially higher than even the most expensive seats for the last World Cup final in Qatar, which cost the equivalent of about $1,600.
There are several other wrinkles in the way FIFA is selling the tickets. First, it has introduced a type of dynamic pricing, meaning prices will adjust based on demand.
Another unusual thing: FIFA is offering what's called a right to buy a ticket that offers buyers a guaranteed ticket for the game of their choice.
These "RTBs" cost hundreds — and even thousands of dollars. And that's before you buy the actual ticket. FIFA will determine that ticket price at a later stage.
Jim Waian in California was outraged. "To me this is madness," he says. "It's absolute madness."
Waian is another World Cup obsessive. He's been to seven World Cup tournaments so far and to six finals, including in Paris in 1998, when France beat Brazil and many of the fans were singing "La Marseillaise" as the home side clinched the trophy.
But Waian says he refuses to pay the prices FIFA is charging next year.
"It's much more than I would want to spend," Waian says. "There's other things I'd rather buy for that money that would last more than two hours."
FIFA says it's adjusting to the U.S. market
In a statement to NPR, FIFA says it is adapting to "industry trends." Watching sports in the U.S. is expensive. For comparison, the average NFL ticket price was just under $300 when the season started, according to The Athletic.
FIFA also notes that more than 90% of the revenue generated across the U.S., Canada and Mexico will be reinvested around the world to further develop the game of soccer.
"Ticketing and resale fees align with industry trends across various sports and entertainment sectors," FIFA says. "It is important to note, as a not-for-profit organization, the revenue FIFA generates from the World Cup is reinvested to fuel the growth of the game (men, women, youth) throughout FIFA's 211 member associations globally."
But Waian still doesn't understand why growing the sport means that ticket prices next year have to jump so much.
"Everything they've done so far seems to be just concerned about maximizing profit and nothing, absolutely nothing, else," Waian says.
Fans could face tough choices
Trucano in Virginia is also unsure what to do. Should he go alone? Will he have to choose between his wife, dad and children.
"I have to think really hard about taking my family and who, you know, who do we cut out and who do we don't?" Trucano says.
Ticket prices could still come down. FIFA will be selling tickets in stages all the way until next year's tournament.
Trucano is hopeful that will happen. In the meantime though, he's angry and disappointed.
"I think they see us as consumers," Trucano says. "As just big wallets. Big fat wallets that they can take as much money out of as they can. I don't think that does anybody any good."
Fans like Trucano and Waian got to travel all over the world to see World Cup games. Turns out the one that's being held in their own country — in the U.S. — may be the one they have to watch on TV from their homes.
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