The economic impact of global sporting events is often measured through sponsorship revenues, broadcasting rights and tourism inflows. Yet the financial burden borne by individual fans offers an equally revealing picture of the modern sports economy.
For 40-year-old Manipur-based digital content creator Worchihan Zingkhai, attending the FIFA World Cup 2026 meant postponing the purchase of a high-end video-editing laptop worth nearly ₹2.4 lakh, a business investment he says would have directly supported his livelihood.
Zingkhai, who lives in Ngahui village in Manipur’s Ukhrul district and works as an independent content creator, told Business Insider that he chose to divert funds earmarked for a professional laptop costing between $2,200 and $2,500 towards travel and match-related expenses for the World Cup in North America.
His experience underscores the growing financial challenges faced by international fans seeking access to major sporting events, particularly amid rising travel costs and soaring ticket prices in secondary markets.
Long journey, high costs
For fans from remote regions, the cost of attending a global sporting event extends far beyond match tickets.
According to Zingkhai, reaching the United States involved a six-hour road journey from his village to Imphal airport, followed by a multi-leg flight itinerary through New Delhi, London and Washington DC before arriving in Atlanta.
The trip required significant financial planning, including reductions in household spending and support from family members. Zingkhai noted that daily wages in his locality can be around ₹500, highlighting the gap between local earning levels and the cost of attending a major international sporting event.
He also relied on hospitality support from relatives based in the United States to help manage expenses during the trip.
Ticket prices force compromises
The challenges began well before departure.
During FIFA’s initial ticket sales phase, Zingkhai entered the online queue with a budget of around $350 per ticket and hoped to watch matches involving teams such as Argentina, England or Portugal.
However, he found that tickets for many high-demand fixtures were priced between $450 and $650, significantly above his planned budget.
Faced with limited time during the booking process and higher-than-expected prices, he was unable to complete a purchase in the first sales window.
In a subsequent phase, he shifted his focus towards more affordable fixtures and eventually secured two Category 3 tickets for the Czech Republic-South Africa match at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium for $140 each.
Resale market concerns
Zingkhai’s experience also highlights concerns around ticket resale practices.
After securing his tickets, he observed similar seats being listed on secondary marketplaces for around $560 each- four times the original purchase price.
The sharp difference between primary and resale prices has become a recurring issue across major sporting events worldwide, with fans and consumer groups frequently raising concerns about speculative buying and ticket scalping.
“As a football fan, that’s disappointing,” Zingkhai told Business Insider. “I believe some people purchase tickets mainly to resell them rather than attend matches themselves. For fans like me, that makes an already expensive event even harder to reach.”
A broader question for global sports
Such experiences illustrate the tension between the commercial success of mega sporting events and accessibility for ordinary supporters.
While global tournaments continue to attract record sponsorship and media revenues, rising attendance costs, some pundits argue, risk placing live match experiences beyond the reach of many fans, particularly those from emerging sporting markets.
For governing bodies such as FIFA, maintaining a balance between commercial objectives and fan access remains a critical challenge. If genuine supporters increasingly find themselves priced out by escalating costs and speculative resale activity, some argue, that organisers could face longer-term concerns around fan engagement and match-day atmosphere- factors that contribute significantly to the value of sports as a broadcast and sponsorship product.