FIFA’s “104 Super Bowls” causing anger and frustration
As North America prepares to host soccer’s biggest tournament, comparisons with US sports culture are becoming impossible to ignore.
In April 2025, FIFA president Gianni Infantino spoke about what the World Cup in North America will look like, particularly in the United States. During that appearance, he drew a comparison with one of the most important sporting events in the country.
“The Super Bowl is fantastic, right? It reaches around 20 to 30 million viewers. The World Cup is six billion. In other words, one World Cup equals 104 Super Bowls in a single month,” he said at the time in a conversation with Colin Cowherd.
Super Bowl links with World Cup
The connection between the NFL and the World Cup could hardly be stronger. Eleven of the 16 venues chosen by FIFA to host the tournament are stadiums belonging to the most powerful American football league in the world, and the comparison is becoming increasingly apt.
High ticket prices for the 2026 World Cup have sparked anger among fans around the globe who were hoping to watch their national teams at the tournament. Neither the Copa América nor the UEFA Champions League comes close – only the Super Bowl can be compared to these prices.
How much are World Cup 2026 tickets?
Back in 2018, when it was announced that the 2026 World Cup would be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, officials from the bid projected ticket prices ranging from $21 to $323 for group-stage games.
Instead, the cheapest tickets now range between $140 and $180, with prices climbing above $1,000 even for group-stage matches – a situation that has prompted widespread complaints.
For the World Cup final, which will be held at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, expected prices were between $128 and $1,550. At present, however, the cheapest ticket to see the next world champion costs $4,185.
It could become the most lucrative final in soccer history, surpassing the UEFA Champions League final and even the World Cup final in Qatar 2022, as well as any gold medal event at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Tickets for Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, where the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 40–22, ranged from $950 to $7,500. That means the World Cup final is even more expensive than the NFL’s flagship event.
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