With the 2026 Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup seven weeks away, controversy over a "rip-off World Cup" is growing as stadium travel expenses surge following disputes over ticket prices. In some cities, helicopter fees reach 40 million won, and public transit fares have jumped into the hundreds of thousands of won, prompting criticism that simply attending the World Cup is turning into a luxury event for the wealthy.
On the 22nd local time, Bloomberg said that in major host cities such as New York and Boston in the United States, severe traffic congestion is expected, leading to the introduction of helicopter transfer packages. A five-minute helicopter ride for eight people from Boston Logan Airport to near the stadium costs up to $30,000 (about 44 million won), but the company said, "Demand is already overflowing."
On the ground, parking spaces are worth their weight in gold. Parking around MetLife Stadium in New Jersey and Gillette Stadium in Boston is said to cost $225 to $270 per day (about 330,000 to 400,000 won).
The problem is that public transit is no exception. New Jersey is reviewing a plan to raise round-trip train fares to as much as $150 (about 220,000 won) during the World Cup. Shuttle bus fares are also expected to be set at around $80 (about 120,000 won).
Boston is in a similar situation. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) is selling special World Cup trains to Gillette Stadium for $80 round-trip. However, the trains can carry only about one-third of the stadium's capacity, leaving many spectators with no choice but to drive themselves.
Tensions are also rising between FIFA and local governments over the situation. The New Jersey State Governments argues that because FIFA is expected to earn about $11 billion (about 16 trillion won) in revenue from the World Cup, it should shoulder the transportation infrastructure expense. New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill said, "We cannot subsidize spectators' transportation costs with New Jersey taxpayers' money." FIFA countered, "When the contract was signed in 2023, it was clearly agreed that transportation costs would be covered by host cities," adding, "It is unprecedented for a particular city to try to pass on the expense."
This World Cup is expected to generate about $30.5 billion (about 45 trillion won) in economic impact across the United States. However, some say that despite the enormous economic effect, spectator access is being pushed to the back burner.