'Daylight robbery but worth it' - what fans are spending on World Cup

They picked up tickets at the "last minute", Maric said, paying CAD$1,250 (US$890; £665) a piece for seats in the third row. On top of that, the hotel was about $600 a night and flights were $1,150 per person. All in, the cost was about CAD$5,400 for their trip.

Sisters Aida and Emina Tucic, also supporters of Bosnia and Herzegovina, didn't have as far to travel - they came from Hamilton, a city outside Toronto.

They knew they wanted to come to the game "the second" Bosnia qualified, said Aida.

"We were a little trepidatious just because the tickets prices started to become, like, crazy," she said. They monitored the prices for a while and snagged their tickets three days before the game.

They spent CAD$1,200 each. And Emina had some tips for other travellers, including checking local social media for suggestions for cheaper eats when out and about.

Asked whether they thought the ticket price was a fair one to pay for the experience, Aida said "probably not", and that the football "should be accessible to the fans".

But, she added, it's "priceless for me".

"It's once-in-a-lifetime," Emina said. "Both the countries you love, one where you were raised, one where you were born - getting to see them both play on the world stage, it's amazing."

Watching an impromptu street match from the sidelines in Mexico City's Zona Rosa (Pink Zone) between passers-by and police officers was about as close as some Mexicans will get to the sporting action this World Cup.

The ticket prices for the opening game were well beyond the means of most people in a nation where an estimated 30% of the population lives in poverty.

Outside the Azteca Stadium on Friday for the opening match against South Africa, fans quoted a range of figures they'd paid for one of the hallowed tickets.

Few paid less than the equivalent of USD$1,500 in Mexican pesos and some went as high as $4,000 or more. A lucky few received free courtesy tickets through work or as gifts.

"I paid 30,000 pesos ($1,750; £1,300) for each one," explains Aaron Vieyra, of the Mexican national team fans group Furia Azteca. Vieyra purchased two tickets at that price for him and his girlfriend through a well-placed contact. One ticket alone was worth about three months' rent to many residents of Mexico City, he pointed out.

Having seen the Mexican team play at previous World Cups in Brazil and Russia, he said he spent more on one game in Mexico than what he paid combined for the matches he saw in those other tournaments.

"The game itself was historic and we were so happy to be in the Azteca for that moment, I still get goosebumps," Vieyra said.

But was it value for money? "It was worth it, but only just," he says with hesitation. "It worked out for us because I didn't have to pay for flights or hotels. If we'd have had to pay for those costs on top, then there is no way I'd have spent that kind of money on a ticket."

The price of food and drink inside the stadiums varies depending where you are, but they seem to be within the range that sport and music fans would pay inside top venues and arenas in the US.

An investigation by The Athletic website found that fans could pay $16 for an American beer (16oz) at the New York New Jersey (NYNJ) Stadium, which will host the final, and $5 for a water (20oz).

At the Mercedes-Benz in Atlanta, however, a US beer will set you back only $5 for a small (12oz) and $9 for a large (20oz). Fans must part with just $3 for water (20oz).

Other costs are also inflated. A train ticket from New York City's Penn Station to the NYNJ Stadium for a World Cup match costs $98. The price of the ticket, which usually costs $12.90, was increased so locals were not burdened with paying for fan transportation, New Jersey Governor Governor Mikie Sherrill has said. Sherrill has also said Fifa is not contributing to the $48m transit costs.

Meanwhile, local officials have tried to negotiate with Fifa to bring the cost down for average fans.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani negotiated with Fifa to secure 1,000 $50 tickets for residents, which they can win through a lottery. The Canadian province of Ontario passed the Putting Fans First Act to tamp down on resale prices. And Dallas will provide complimentary transport to and from its stadium.

Though headlines about ticket costs have dominated the tournament, the fans who spoke to the BBC remained enthusiastic about the games and suggested the prices were worth it.

Oftedal, the Norwegian fan, said creating memories with his father would be the most important thing, and that "the (worry about) money goes away after a while".

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