Dis, Dat & Dee Udder ;-)

Wednesday, June 10, 2026

World Cup 2026 - My Predictions

The Beautiful Game Gets An Ugly Price Tag

As much as I’m looking forward to the World Cup (and even catching a game or two live) FIFA is doing a remarkably efficient job of sucking the joy out of it. Not just for me, but for millions of fans worldwide. Paradoxically, there’s something almost poetic about it, not in a good way: the same organization that spent decades growing the global game now seems intent on pricing it out of reach. Slowly. Methodically. And with zero remorse. The “beautiful game,” rebranded as a luxury product.

Let me put the price escalation in perspective. The first World Cup I had attended - back in 1994 - really was a tournament “for the fans”. At the time, I paid $75 for a Category 1 ticket (proof below). That’s $167 in 2026 dollars, adjusted for inflation and cost of living. The last one I experienced live (2014 in Brazil) saw prices creep up, but they still felt tethered to reality. The same category was $175 ($244 in today’s dollars) for a top-tier game between Chile (South American champion at the time) and Spain (reigning Euro champion). I was lucky enough to get a ticket to the final (which I ended up exchanging for several group-stage games). The price for a Category 2 FINAL ticket: $660 ($920 today). Expensive, sure. But still within reach for actual fans, not just corporations and hedge funds.

Today, the same type of group-game ticket for an obscure game like Congo vs. Uzbekistan is $450 for Category 2. Twice that for Cat 1. Come on! No disrespect for either country, but…. NO! The average ticket for group-stage Cat 1 across all stadiums is $620!! Yet, some games - like USA-Paraguay - are listed at $2,000 for a Cat 2 ticket (which really should be Cat 3, since it’s waaay up on the rafters; bring binoculars). A Cat 1 ticket to Spain - Saudi Arabia (albeit in a corner) is $1,500 on their portal. Official price, not resale. Straight from FIFA, delivered with a straight face. I would have really loved to watch Spain live, but NOT for that kind of money. No thank you!

Oh, and on top of it, FIFA also has a resale option on the ticketing portal, where they charge BOTH the seller and the buyer a 15% (each) “convenience” fee to facilitate that transfer. I’m wondering who is that convenient for? Clearly not the buyer. Or the seller… wink, wink…

The buzzword FIFA hides behind is dynamic pricing; a concept they conveniently introduced for this tournament to squeeze every last dollar out of demand they themselves manufactured. What they won't tell you is that matchday revenues are projected to hit $3 billion in 2026 (a jaw-dropping 216% increase over Qatar 2022, which itself generated $950 million). The overall tournament is expected to rake in nearly $11 billion (up 56% from 2022). TV rights alone account for over $4.2 billion. FIFA, by the way, is a nonprofit. Sleep well.

And if you thought that was steep, the “hospitality” packages are where things really go off the rails: $3,000 to $8,000 (group games) for the privilege of saying you didn’t just attend, you networked. As for the final, a “regular” Category 1 ticket now runs anywhere from $6,700 to $10,000. At that point, you’re not buying a seat. You’re making a financial decision that probably deserves its own spreadsheet (and a small bank loan).

Unsurprisingly, real fans are not thrilled. There’s been no shortage of criticism and outrage. FIFA’s response appears to be a collective shrug. Why would they care? They’re hosting in the United States, where eye-watering ticket prices are practically a cultural norm, and where a decent chunk of the audience is perfectly happy to pay a premium for the social media proof of attendance. The result is predictable: the World Cup, once the ultimate global fan festival, is starting to feel more like a corporate showcase with a football match attached.

Fan groups and consumer rights organizations in Europe have filed formal complaints accusing FIFA of exploiting its monopoly to impose excessive prices and unfair purchasing conditions. I’m not even going to comment on their ticket-purchasing protocols. Gianni Infantino's response? He compared World Cup tickets to NFL games and concert tickets, and suggested people don't usually complain about those prices. Remarkable.

Meanwhile, New Jersey's governor pointed out that FIFA is pocketing $11 billion while contributing exactly $0 toward the $48 million transit bill NJ TRANSIT is left holding. In response (and an equally greedy stance, since regular price is under $15) they plan to charge $150 for a round trip ticket from Penn Station in Manhattan to MetLife Stadium. FIFA's reaction: the price hike will impact attendance and affect the experience. LOL! So THAT will have an impact, but not the exorbitant ticket prices. That’s just precious!!! And blatantly hypocritical.

Bottom line, everyone - and I mean everyone - is trying to price-gouge anything related to this tournament. It’s not just the tickets. Fans are staring down flights and accommodations that will likely cost two to three times their usual rates. Add it all up, and for many, the math simply doesn’t work. The atmosphere, that electric mix of fans cramming into the same pub, the same subway car, the real magic of a World Cup, that collision of cultures and accents and flags and chants, will take a huge hit. Fewer traveling fans, fewer stories in the stands. More empty seats in the early rounds. A vast majority of the fans will stay home and watch it on TV. FIFA, of course, will be just fine. Their real money comes from broadcasting rights and sponsorships anyway.

FIFA is hiding all this greed behind the veil of supply vs demand, dynamic pricing (I mentioned that already) and a statement that a portion of the proceeds will be diverted back to the individual federations. Let’s be real. We all know that any money most federations receive will be pocketed by the equally corrupt leadership of the respective federations, with a few balls and training bibs distributed to their grassroots movement, just to “keep them quiet”. We’ve seen this film before. Of course, “real” journalists won’t write about that.

Regardless, once the tournament kicks off, fans will still enjoy it. Most, watching it on TV. Despite what FIFA tells you, a lot of the early stage games will have limited attendance. With the World Cup expanded to 48 teams, countries like Curaçao or Jordan won’t be of major interest to most. As usual, the “real” World Cup won’t start until we whittle it down to 16 teams. That’s when things will get serious, and that’s when I will likely start paying more attention (most games being played during daytime won’t help)

With all that off my chest, let’s go through my predictions. The actual football:

I don’t see many surprises in the group stages. With top 2 teams from each of the 12 groups, and another 8 best-placed 3rd place going through, the round of 32 will be very predictable also. As with any World Cup, there will be a surprise or two, but typically those “surprise” teams won’t have the stamina (and squad depth) to go too much further. Don’t get too attached.

Round of 16 will present some interesting duels. France - Germany will be one (slight edge to Les Bleus) and Brazil - Norway. Yes, Norway. They have been red-hot during the qualifiers, while Brazil continue their identity crisis. Who will go through this stage: France, Netherlands, Spain, Turkey, Norway, England, Argentina and Portugal.

Quarterfinals will pit France against Netherlands (the Dutch will exit). Spain against Turkey (no question there), Norway against England (slight edge to England) and Argentina against Portugal (the Lusitans having the better squad, in my opinion, versus an aging Albiceleste). Messi’s last game for Argentina, unfortunately…

That will call for an England - Portugal semifinal on one end (Portugal to go through) and a France - Spain on the other end. As much as I think France has a better forward line, I think Spain has a stronger midfield and would ultimately prevail. That kind of game will be won in the middle of the park. Spain just has that rhythm, that control, that ability to suffocate games without you quite noticing until it’s too late. I could be wrong (and hope I am not). It will also depend on any potential injuries on the way to the semifinal (France has more depth in their squad). Call it analysis, call it bias, call it stubborn romanticism. Ultimately, that game could go either way, and would be the unofficial final in my book.

Spain to win it all in the end, because I’m still a hopeless romantic and think that they play the most beautiful football at the moment. But it will be a long tournament. Injuries, suspensions, and freak surprises will undoubtedly happen. Something will go sideways somewhere.

Despite all of the above, the pricing, the posturing, the slow drift away from the fans, I’ll still watch. Of course I will. Just not from the stands. From my couch, like 99% of the world. On a big screen. Where the beer is affordable, the view is perfect, and FIFA doesn’t get another dime from me.

And maybe that’s the real story of this World Cup: record revenues, record prices… and record numbers of actual fans watching from everywhere but the stadium. Turns out the “beautiful game” is still beautiful. You just need a TV subscription to see it.

Sunday, February 11, 2024

Patagonia & Beyond (9 of 9) - Half day in Bogotá

As if this trip wasn’t long enough, or didn’t have enough stops, we decided to take advantage of a long layover in Bogotá and go visit. Ok…ok…you got me…the layover was short, but we noticed another connection to Atlanta later in the afternoon, so we did it on purpose! Booked a 6-hour private guide to “catch” a quick glimpse of the city.

With a 5 am landing, there was no amount of coffee that could keep us awake, but once David arrived, and we walked into the brisk morning air, the antennas were up! The guide startled us at first. Full of tattoos (the knuckles indicating gang affiliation) and body jewelry, didn’t fit expectations. But he spoke very good English, was personable, knowledgeable, and clearly loved his city. We stopped first at Monserrate Sanctuary – a church and pilgrimage site at 10,000 feet above sea level, which happened to be very busy that day; major Catholic holiday. Nice panoramic view of the sprawling city from up there, with the omnipresent Andes – again – far in the distance. Much larger than Santiago (it’s actually 5^th biggest in South America; if you’re wondering, São Paulo, Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro and Lima are the top four) but significantly impacted by poverty and a tumultuous past. Not really a major tourist attraction (visitors prefer Cartagena and Barranquilla, on the coast, Medellin, or Cali, the salsa capital of Colombia), the city still has plenty to offer, if you know where to look, or go with a guide.

From there, we visited the colorful old town, where walls are adorned by beautiful murals and artistic graffiti, and the Botero museum (renowned local artist known for his unique style), just to stay with the arts theme...

Around the corner, Plaza de Bolívar, where the Primada Cathedral, Palace of Justice, the presidential palace, are located. Remember the siege in Narcos, where the guerillas took over and destroyed all the evidence against Escobar? Yeah, that Palace of Justice!

After a bit more haggling over souvenir prices in the plaza, time for a quick bite before heading back to the airport. We always enjoy trying the local foods, so at David’s suggestion we stopped by Mama Lupe, an unassuming hole-in-the-wall to try the Ajiaco, a unique Colombian dish, especially beloved in Bogota. It's a hearty chicken soup made with potatoes and corn on the cob (the secret ingredient: papas criollas, a small yellow Andean potato that “dissolves” and thickens the soup as it cooks. Their beef sancocho (somewhere between a stew and a soup) and tamales were out-of-this world comfort food. Andrew Zimmern would be jealous…

Bellies full, we headed back to the airport for the last leg of the trip back to the States. Thankful for the opportunity to witness all these wonders. Grateful that we were all [still] in one piece. Re-playing everything behind tired, closed eyelids. Happy that it all went down without a hitch. Vouching to return soon, for there are other parts of South America to explore, where the people are warm and friendly, the nature is sooo breathtaking, the food, simply amazing, and the dollar stretches much further.

¡Hasta la próxima, amigos!

Quick jumps to all the other legs of this trip:

Patagonia & Beyond (8 of 9) - Santiago de Chile

Santiago was not initially on the itinerary (round trip flights to/from the same location tend to be cheaper) but as we “looked” across the Andes, and realized it was “inches” away (less than an hour’s flight from Mendoza) then it became a no-brainer.

This sprawling metropolis, right at the foot of the Andes, is 6^th biggest in South America (about 7 million) and accounts for over 40% of Chile’s population. It’s huge, blending both classical/colonial architecture (city was founded in the early 1,500’s) as well as modern (Costanera area is known as the Wall Street of South America). As any big city, it has its fair share of “shady” areas and barrios where drug trafficking thrives, but overall, it is safe, and somewhat tourist friendly.

For convenience, we booked a two-day hop-on-hop-off tour, but taxis and Uber are plentiful. The latter is not (yet) legal, but omnipresent. Reminds me of the early days in NY, where Yellow Cab taxis were trying to stifle the inevitable proliferation of ride-share options. Can’t stop progress.

When pressed for time, I appreciate the “visitor” double decker buses, as they provide the narrative along the itinerary, and the convenience of stopping on the way. First halt, Cerro San Cristobal and the cable car ride for panoramic views of the city below. Unfortunately, summer days tend to be hot and hazy, which combined with pollution make the mountains in the distance barely visible. We passed through the park, although one can spend an entire day visiting the Japanese Gardens, Botanical Gardens, or the Zoo.

We took the funicular down, from the other end of the hill, and walked through Patronato – a more “colorful” part of town, on the way to the Central Market. Word to the wise: this is a part of town where one shouldn’t venture alone, display opulence, and keep an eye on the purse or the phone. We were even alerted to that by one of the locals, that clearly recognized we were out of place, sticking out like sore thumbs. But we’re Romanians; we’ve certainly been through worse…

The Central Market was a disappointment. I envisioned something similar to the markets in other bigger cities, but this one felt “tired”, dirty and unkept, with uninviting odors of dead fish and rotten fruits wafting from all corners. Sure, the fish stalls were well stocked, with a large variety of fish, but beyond that, there were maybe a couple fruit and vegetable stalls, and that’s it. The rest of the market… aggressive “hosts” inviting you to dine into their “restaurants” (quotes used on purpose). Couldn’t get out of there fast enough…

The remaining few blocks to Plaza de Armas and the Metropolitan Cathedral are littered with all kinds of shops, most of them heavily guarded. Makes tourists feel safe, but there must be a reason for their presence (there have been increasing reports about safety, crime, and civil unrest, both here and especially in Valparaiso). The Cathedral – over 200 years old – is an imposing edifice and worth a quick visit. Get up to the bell towers if you have time.

We strolled through the area and eventually got out of the heat to enjoy some pisco sours at Chipe Libre. Other notable watering holes or lunch options in the area: Liguria (especially for the 3-story tall bar and the old-school service!), Bocanariz, Salvador Cocina y Café, or, near Costanera, Ambrosia Bistro, Fuente Alemana, or Tacu Tacu (this last one, an amazing ceviche place we gorged the night before; the Nikkei ceviche, a huge hit!).

"Blessed pisco
Sweet torment
Why are you outside?
Come on in!"

...small world (found Bucharest street in Santiago)

Since we’re talking food, there are so, so many good options in Santiago (https://www.theworlds50best.com/discovery/sitemap/chile/santiago). The Pacific is an hour away, meaning seafood is top notch. Borago has been one of the best in the world for years; a pioneer in sustainability (reservations are tough to get). Ambrosia is an up and comer (the Bistro is their more affordable option). We opted for Peumayén Ancestral Food, mostly because it advertised “traditional Chilean food using indigenous ingredients and techniques. It was hit and miss. Appetizers and small bites were good, some quite interesting, but the main dishes fell a bit short. Interesting, overall, but if you only have a day or two in the city, there are better options.

One of those is La Mar. Another “cebiceria” where ingredients are so fresh, and the “leche de tigre” so delicious, that my mouth is watering as I write this. It was – by far – the best ceviche I ever had in my life. If you can’t make it to Santiago, they have locations in Miami and San Francisco as well.

Day two, we took the double-decker to Plaza de La Constitución and Palacio de la Moneda (Presidential offices). Imposing Christmas tree right up front. Twenty-foot Nutcrackers. But not easy to get into the holiday spirit when it’s 90 degrees outside…

From there, off to Santa Lucía park – a smaller hill with a picturesque, manicured park featuring terraces, fountains, and old castle, and a summit viewpoint.

There is a Craft Fair across the street, but we preferred the shaded option of the aforementioned Liguria bar, cooling off with another round of pisco sours (so refreshing on a hot summer day). Behind an unassuming entrance, the bar/restaurant it’s an absolute delight on 3 levels, each with a very unique character. Worth a stop, for the ambiance and service alone!

Before dinner, and for last minute souvenirs, we stopped at Costanera Mall. A behemoth on 6 levels (at least) so busy, in contrast to most malls in the States. Clearly Amazon, and online shopping in general are still to make an impact in Santiago… For kids, active adults, or just another reprieve from the sun, Mall Sport is a huge venue with every imaginable activity, from wall climbing, to indoor surfing, to bumper cars and everything in between. Worth a detour if travelling with teens.

Later on, last packing of the trip and off to the airport for a late (12:05 am late) flight to Bogotá. Kudos to the nice folks at AC Marriott for outstanding service and going the extra mile to accommodate us in every way! The outdoor bar, with a fantastic panorama of the city, is not too shabby either. And if you’re into all that, the Sky Costanera next door is the highest viewpoint in South America (300 meters); for about $18 it might be worth it, but only if the visibility is good. In our case, the hotel room offered just as much…

Next: a quick layover in Bogotá, before heading home: https://disdatdudder.blogspot.com/2024/02/patagonia-beyond-9-of-9-half-day-in.html

Quick jumps to all the other legs of this trip: