<h4 class=
Horoscope

April 18 Birthday Horoscope: Here's what the tarot cards have in store for youIf your birthday falls on April 18, here’s what your year ahead looks like, as per Tarot. Updated on: Apr 18, 2026 11:08 AM IST By Kishori Sud Share via Copy link If you were born on April 18

A Constitution Amendment Bill for women's reservation in legislatures from 2029 and Lok Sabha seat increase was defeated. The BJP accused the Congress and
Politics

A Constitution Amendment Bill for women's reservation in legislatures from 2029 and Lok Sabha seat increase was defeated. The BJP accused the Congress and opposition of betraying women. Opposition leaders stated the 2023 quota law should be implemented immediately

United States President Donald Trump said that he may not extend the tentative ceasefire with Iran if negotiations fail to produce an agreement by Wednesday
Latest News

United States President Donald Trump said that he may not extend the tentative ceasefire with Iran if negotiations fail to produce an agreement by Wednesday, CNN reported. Trump also said that Washington would obtain Tehran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium one way or another

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin expressed joy as the opposition successfully blocked the delimitation bill in Parliament. He credited the INDIA bloc MPs
Politics

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin expressed joy as the opposition successfully blocked the delimitation bill in Parliament. He credited the INDIA bloc MPs and women for this victory. Stalin highlighted the planned campaign and protests that built momentum

Is this the beginning of the end for the Golden State dynasty? The Golden State Warriors saw their season come crashing down after a 111-96 loss to the Phoenix
Sports

Is this the beginning of the end for the Golden State dynasty? The Golden State Warriors saw their season come crashing down after a 111-96 loss to the Phoenix Suns in the play-in, a defeat that felt heavier than just a scoreline. Jalen Green torched the Warriors for 36 points

'Anger and disappointment' as fans priced out of World Cup

Posted By: Pawan George Posted On: Dec 13, 2025Share Article
Anger and disappointment
Image caption, The price of following a team all the way through the tournament has increased significantly since the last World Cup in Qatar

Supporters are continuing to speak of their frustration at the astronomical cost of following the 2026 World Cup.

The Football Supporters' Association has called ticket prices a "laughable insult" to fans.

For some smaller nations, the cost of group-stage tickets is going to be higher than a month's wages in that country. And that is before factoring in travel and accommodation.

One Ghana fan told the BBC of "anger and disappointment" that Black Stars supporters might now be forced to cancel their plans.

Fifa's ticket price policy was revealed on Thursday, with group-stage tickets up to three times the prices of those for Qatar in 2022. The cheapest ticket for the final will cost £3,119.

On Friday, Fifa said it had received five million ticket requests from fans in more than 200 countries in the 24 hours since the latest ticketing phase opened.

"It's a chance to qualify. It is a chance to participate in a big event," Fifa president Gianni Infantino declared in January 2017.

The Fifa Council had just unanimously voted to expand the World Cup to 48 teams. Nations who had never or rarely reached the finals were being given hope.

Infantino added: "Football is more than Europe and South America. Football is global.

The football fever you have in a country that qualifies for the World Cup is the most powerful tool you can have, in those nine months before qualifying and the finals.

Yet that "football fever" is falling a little flat after the ticket prices were released.

While the players will be there, the price of tickets could outstrip wages.

Take Haiti, one of the poorest countries in the world. The average wage in the Caribbean nation is around $147 (£110) a month.

The cheapest tickets for Haiti's first game at the World Cup in 52 years, against Scotland, cost $180 (£135).

To attend all three matches - they also play Brazil and Morocco - would cost $625 (£467). That's more than four months' salary for the average Haitian, just to get into the ground.

It's a similar story for Ghana, where the average monthly salary is around $254 (£190).

Ghana supporter Jojo Quansah told BBC World Service that fans would have to cancel their plans.

"It's a bit of a disappointment for those who, for the last three-and-a-half years, have been trying to put some money away in the hope that they can have their first World Cup experience," he said.

"Fifa themselves have gone ahead to increase the number of teams so a lot more smaller football nations will get a chance to have themselves and their fans represented.

"It's been overshadowed by pricing those same fans out of a chance to watch their country play at the World Cup.

I have a feeling that quite a number of people within the next couple of months, are going to drop out of that desire to be at the next World Cup. Sadly. So sadly.

Other nations could see their fans priced out.

Any fan wanting to follow their team from the first game to the final - if they get there - will spend a minimum of £5,200 on tickets.

There there's travel. For an England fan planning to attend the group stage, current prices show flights from London to Dallas to Boston to New York/New Jersey and then home are £1,300. Add on £526 if you get the cheapest match tickets.

It gets a lot more expensive if you want to go for the whole tournament. If they were winners of Group L, England would have to go from Atlanta to Mexico City and then to Miami. Those two flights alone would cost £800.

Flights across the tournament could cost £2,600. Add on the cheapest match tickets, and it is £7,800.

What about Scotland fans travelling from Glasgow? Flights across the group stage would cost £1,675 each, with the lowest ticket price bracket £500 on top.

If Scotland were to win Group C, flights through to the final would be £2,357. With tickets that is £7,567.

These prices are as of today. Many supporters would not want to book flights for the knockout rounds before they know they need to travel. By then, it could be a lot more expensive.

Paul Clegg (61), from Blackburn, says: "This will be my fifth World Cup. I haven't missed a game since 2014.

"I'm in contact with England fans all over the country. I'm a top capper.

"We all plan to boycott games after the group stage.

Football is dead.

Anne-Marie Carr (54), from York, says: "I have diligently attended England matches so that I can earn the caps to get tickets for major tournaments only to then find that I, as so many others, are being priced out.

WC 26 will be for the few, the sponsors and the glory hunters who've got the money to attend the big matches when they come along.

Katie, from Glasgow, says: "Buy a ticket, you must be joking!

These prices are not for the real fans, these are for corporates, bigwigs, sponsors. The real fans cannot afford those glorified prices.

Ian, from Glenrothes, says: "Not sure why anyone is surprised.

"One of the reasons I'm not going, as much as I would want to see my country at a World Cup, is that there are too many practical things negating it.

"Airline and hotel greed, and now ticket prices.

Not for me!

Every nation that wants to host the World Cup has to present its case from stadiums, to sustainability, to ticket prices.

The world has changed a lot since the United States, Mexico and Canada set out its plan in 2017.

Covid has placed a great deal of inflationary strain across the globe. But not this much.

In fairness, the ticket prices for the group stage are not vastly higher. For games such as Scotland v Haiti ($180) the prices for the cheapest tickets are in line with the $174 in the bid document.

It's for the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final where Fifa has massively increased the prices.

Category three for the final was proposed to be $695 (£520). Adjusted for inflation, it would cost $890 (£666). Yet Fifa is now charging $4,185 (£3,119).

The biggest sporting event of the year in the United States is the Super Bowl - the finale to the NFL season.

Super Bowl tickets are not released for sale to the general public but can be bought via official resale sites.

According to Forbes,, external tickets for the 2025 Super Bowl started at around £3,500 - £5,000 each.

Basketball's NBA finals are not priced as high. Last year, tickets at Oklahoma City Thunder started at £52 in the top tier of their Paycom Center home as they won their first NBA Championship.

Away from sport, tickets for next year's WWE Wrestlemania in Las Vegas are available for between £250 and £1,000.

While musician Taylor Swift's hugely successful Eras Tour tickets at US venues were typically priced at between £37 and £335 each - although the resale market had tickets priced well above £1,000.

Comment on Post

Leave a comment

If you have a News Orbit 360 user account, your address will be used to display your profile picture.


RCB vs DC Playing 11: Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru aim to reclaim the top spot in the IPL 2026 points table as they face Delhi Capitals. RCB
Sports
RCB vs DC Playing 11 IPL 2026

RCB vs DC Playing 11: Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru aim to reclaim the top spot in the IPL 2026 points table as they face Delhi Capitals. RCB, with a strong opening and middle order, will look to capitalize on their historical dominance against a Delhi side seeking to regain

1 days ago

Oura isn’t a household name in India, and many would be hearing of the Finnish brand for the first time, with the launch of the Oura Ring 4
Latest News
An unobstrusive way to track your health and fitness metrics

Oura isn’t a household name in India, and many would be hearing of the Finnish brand for the first time, with the launch of the Oura Ring 4. As the name suggests, Oura has been at the wearable space longer than most people realize—over a decade at this point

1 days ago

Mumbai, Apr 17 (PTI) The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has launched ‘Movitrap’, an innovative mosquito-control device developed under its
Latest News
BMC unveils new device to curb mosquito menace

Mumbai, Apr 17 (PTI) The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has launched ‘Movitrap’, an innovative mosquito-control device developed under its incubation initiative to combat vector-borne diseases like malaria and dengue, officials said on Saturday.Mumbai

1 days ago

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) CEO and MD K Krithivasan on Friday informed that the IT major has initiated a formal independent investigation into the sexual
Latest News
TCS forms independent panel to investigate Nashik incident

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) CEO and MD K Krithivasan on Friday informed that the IT major has initiated a formal independent investigation into the sexual harassment incident at its Nashik facility, bringing in external experts and constituting a board-level oversight mechanism to ensure the

1 days ago

Marketa Vondrousova, the 2023 Wimbledon champion, has found herself at the centre of a storm after being charged with a doping violation. The charge
Sports
Marketa Vondrousova Faces Doping Charge After Missed Test

Marketa Vondrousova, the 2023 Wimbledon champion, has found herself at the centre of a storm after being charged with a doping violation. The charge, brought by the International Tennis Integrity Agency, relates to an out-of-competition test in December.Marketa Vondrousova

1 days ago

<h4 class=
Latest News
Why are RCB wearing green jersey against Delhi Capitals for IPL 2026 match

Why are RCB wearing green jersey against Delhi Capitals for IPL 2026 match at Chinnaswamy?Royal Challengers Bengaluru will don green jerseys against Delhi Capitals, emphasising their sustainability campaign. Updated on: Apr 18, 2026 1:58 PM IST Written by Probuddha Bhattacharjee Share via Copy link

1 days ago

Maharashtra Chief Minister Fadnavis on Saturday chaired a review meeting of the Home Department over the Nashik conversion case, saying that religious
Politics
Cases involving religious conversion wouldn't be tolerated

Maharashtra Chief Minister Fadnavis on Saturday chaired a review meeting of the Home Department over the Nashik conversion case, saying that religious conversion cases would not be tolerated under any circumstances. Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday chaired a review

1 days ago

<h4 class=
Life Style
Think heart disease starts at 50

Think heart disease starts at 50? Heart surgeon reveals shocking truth: ‘Begins as early as age 3…’Heart disease risk is built in at an early age. It does not develop abruptly in middle age, suggesting the importance of early prevention and healthy habits. Published on: Apr 18

1 days ago

The Malayalam television industry is facing a deeply emotional moment as colleagues, friends, and viewers come to terms with the loss of actor Siddharth
Entertainment
Malayalam Actor Siddharth Venugopal Dies After Two-Year Cancer Fight

The Malayalam television industry is facing a deeply emotional moment as colleagues, friends, and viewers come to terms with the loss of actor Siddharth Venugopal. News of Siddharth’s demise was confirmed through actress Seema G Nair, who had been closely associated with his treatment journey

1 days ago

<h4 class=
Sports
Pranavi lone Indian to make cut in Joburg Ladies Open

Pranavi lone Indian to make cut in Joburg Ladies OpenPranavi lone Indian to make cut in Joburg Ladies Open Published on: Apr 18, 2026 1:46 PM IST PTI Share via Copy link Johannesburg, Pranavi Urs was the sole Indian to make the cut as she scraped through into the weekend rounds on the cutline at

1 days ago

<h4 class=
Latest News
Bring old bill

‘Hold Parliament on Monday, bring old bill, let's see who is anti-women’: Priyanka leads Oppn charge as govt move fails‘Old bill’ refers to 2023 law that already provides for 33% quota for women in legislatures. It was in fact notified this week. Delimitation is the caveat

1 days ago

<h4 class=
Latest News
Why South Korean president’s visit to India matters

Why South Korean president’s visit to India mattersThis article is authored by Torunika Roy, research associate, Korea Chair, Council for Strategic and Defence Research (CSDR), New Delhi. Published on: Apr 18, 2026 2:01 PM IST By Torunika Roy Share via Copy link Starting today to April 21, 2026

1 days ago

<h4 class=
Entertainment
Hansika Motwani says therapy helped her heal post divorce

Hansika Motwani says therapy helped her heal post-divorce from Sohael Khaturiya: ‘I was in a dark space’Hansika Motwani opened up about her divorce, emphasising family support during a challenging time and her decision to move forward without regrets. Apr 18, 2026

1 days ago

<h4 class=
Latest News
Why Pizza 4P’s became ‘Pizza for Peace’ in Kannada

Why Pizza 4P’s Bengaluru outlet became ‘Pizza for Peace’ in Kannada: Japanese owner reveals real reasonOwner and CEO of Pizza 4P’s, Masuko Yosuke, shared a tweet on why he opened a store in Bengaluru and the meaning behind the name. Published on: Apr 18

1 days ago

Academicians and experts came together at the West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (WBNUJS) in Kolkata to share concerns and discuss the
Science
Experts, academicians share concern and possibilities of animal and fish breeding rights at WBNUJS

Academicians and experts came together at the West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (WBNUJS) in Kolkata to share concerns and discuss the possibilities in the area of the animal and fish breeders’ rights. The discussion titled “Animal and Fish Breeders’ Rights: An Imperative

1 days ago

Ukrainian drones targeted industrial cities along the Volga River and a Baltic Sea port near St. Petersburg. A fire was extinguished at the Vysotsk port
World
Ukraine strikes Baltic Sea port

Ukrainian drones targeted industrial cities along the Volga River and a Baltic Sea port near St. Petersburg. A fire was extinguished at the Vysotsk port, which handles fuel exports. Attacks also hit industrial targets in Syzran and Novokuibyshevsk, cities known for their oil refineries

1 days ago

New Delhi, Apr 18 (PTI) A day after a united opposition defeated a Constitution amendment bill to tweak the women’s quota law and increase the number of
Latest News
Congress anti-women

New Delhi, Apr 18 (PTI) A day after a united opposition defeated a Constitution amendment bill to tweak the women’s quota law and increase the number of seats in legislatures through delimitation, Parliamentary Affairs Minsiter Kiren Rijiju on Saturday accused the Congress of being anti-women

1 days ago

A graduate from the National Institute of Technology has gone viral after claiming that only a tiny portion of what she studied in college is actually useful
Latest News
My Job Uses Just 3% Of My Degree

A graduate from the National Institute of Technology has gone viral after claiming that only a tiny portion of what she studied in college is actually useful in her current job. The woman, identified as Manvi, shared her thoughts in a video posted on Instagram

1 days ago

U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration on Friday (April 17, 2026) ‌issued a waiver allowing countries to buy sanctioned ​Russian oil and petroleum
World
U.S. extends waiver allowing countries to buy Russian oil

U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration on Friday (April 17, 2026) ‌issued a waiver allowing countries to buy sanctioned ​Russian oil and petroleum products at ⁠sea for about a month, seeking to control global energy prices that have shot higher during ‌the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.U

1 days ago

Gold and silver prices in India on April 18, 2026 remained largely steady with minor fluctuations across major cities, even as global markets reacted to
Business
Gold, silver rates on April 18, 2026

Gold and silver prices in India on April 18, 2026 remained largely steady with minor fluctuations across major cities, even as global markets reacted to geopolitical tensions in West Asia and mixed signals from the US dollar. Precious metals, which are traditionally considered safe-haven assets

1 days ago

While addressing the debate on linking the women’s reservation bill with delimitation, Rahul Gandhi joked about him and PM Modi not having wives
Politics
PM Modi And I Don’t Have Wife Issue

While addressing the debate on linking the women’s reservation bill with delimitation, Rahul Gandhi joked about him and PM Modi not having wives. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday led the opposition’s debate in Lok Sabha amid a row over linking the Delimitation Bill to the Women’s Quota

1 days ago

Train Safety Tips: Even a minor lapse in judgment while traveling by train can prove costly; therefore, remaining vigilant is absolutely essential
Latest News
Phones, luggage, and seats… follow these safety rules while traveling by train

Train Safety Tips: Even a minor lapse in judgment while traveling by train can prove costly; therefore, remaining vigilant is absolutely essential. By adopting a few simple precautions, you can make your journey both safe and stress-free. Indian Railway Safety Tips: Millions of people travel by

1 days ago

More than 300 humanoid robots participating in China's second robot half-marathon on Sunday will be facing tougher terrain designed to test their technical
Technology
China humanoid robot half-marathon to showcase technical leaps

More than 300 humanoid robots participating in China's second robot half-marathon on Sunday will be facing tougher terrain designed to test their technical advancements, as Beijing ​seeks to develop the industry into a major pillar of its ​economy.Over 70 teams

1 days ago

<h4 class=
World
Pak Army chief Munir concludes three-day Iran visit

Pak Army chief Munir concludes three-day Iran visitPak Army chief Munir concludes three-day Iran visit Published on: Apr 18, 2026 1:26 PM IST PTI Share via Copy link Islamabad, Pakistan's Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir has concluded his three-day visit to Iran as part of

1 days ago

<h4 class=
Entertainment
Bollywood-inspired Brazilian telenovela recreated Kajra Re

Bollywood-inspired Brazilian telenovela recreated Kajra Re, used Beedi Jalaile; internet stunned: ‘How could this exist’The 2009 telenovela Caminho das Índias has resurfaced online, captivating audiences with its Bollywood-style drama and intercaste romance. Apr 18, 2026

1 days ago

Oil prices plunged more than 10% on Friday (April 17, 2026) after Iran said the Strait of Hormuz would be “completely open” for the rest of the ceasefire
Business
Oil plunges, stocks jump as Iran declares Hormuz open

Oil prices plunged more than 10% on Friday (April 17, 2026) after Iran said the Strait of Hormuz would be “completely open” for the rest of the ceasefire with the United States, and stock markets surged. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on X that “passage for all commercial

1 days ago

<h4 class=
Latest News
Delhi techie who quit ₹40 LPA Google job opens up on life after corporate

Delhi techie who quit ₹40 LPA Google job opens up on life after corporate: ‘I now own 100% of my time’A Delhi techie quit his ₹40 LPA+ Google job and chose to explore life, prioritising freedom over a predictable career. Published on: Apr 18

1 days ago


Sing Up