When a group of mates from Sydney and Wollongong decided to go to the most expensive World Cup in history, they knew they’d have to find a unique way to keep costs down.
And so they adopted a very American approach, hiring an RV, or as they have called it a ‘RooV.’
“The inspiration behind the idea was the cost of accommodation primarily,” Cam de Jong said.
“We just decided that it would be a fun way to give ourselves some exposure to the Pacific North West, get together in a really cramped location, and then just have some fun.”
The friends have re-named their Cruise America rental RV by sticking on an Australia scarf. (ABC Sport: Tom Wildie)
The RooV is tight quarters for the up to five friends who will spend time on the trip “for as long as the Socceroos are in”, but they said it makes sense to avoid hotel prices of up to $1,000 a night.
“If you’re in North America, you may as well drive a nice big rig instead of paying the man,” de Jong said.
This RV now has a distinct Australian flavour to it. (ABC Sport: Tom Wildie)
There are similar stories from travelling fans across the continent, doing whatever they can for the trip of a lifetime, while having to accept that attending the people’s game is no longer truly attainable for all.
Because it’s worth it
Most fans are reluctant to divulge an exact figure on how much they have spent on their North American World Cup odyssey.
Usually the question is met with a similar answer, like one fan from Melbourne who went to the Socceroos’ opening game, then England vs Croatia in Dallas.
“It’s a healthy amount of money but, so far, we’ve been here for eight days … all worth it,” he said.
“What we experienced in Vancouver, what we’re experiencing here, a lot more to come … wouldn’t change it for the world. If we had another World Cup here in four years, we’d be back for sure.”
Martina had a similar sentiment, travelling from Toronto to Dallas.
“We’re here to support our Croatian team and it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity,” she said.
These Croatian-Canadian fans travelled from Toronto to watch Croatia face England. (ABC Sport: Amanda Shalala)
The tally for many quickly goes into the tens of thousands of dollars, once adding up the well-publicised high ticket prices, travel, accommodation, food, and incidentals.
And one prominent economist said it is time to accept the reality that the World Cup is only for the elite.
“If you look at this and you don’t like the ticket pricing, then there should be a whole bunch of other things about your life that you really don’t like and you think are unfair,” Professor Stefan Szymanski from the University of Michigan, and co-author of Soccernomics, told ABC Sport.
Many Japanese fans have made the trip to North America. (ABC Sport: Amanda Shalala)
“We do this all the time. We sell pretty much everything according to who can afford it. And we charge everything at the highest possible price that we can.
“And often things that are far more important to life, [such as] basic food and housing, access to healthcare.
“So if you’re not happy about the World Cup, then start to think about all the other things you’re not happy about and why we should think about changing the structure of everything rather than just the World Cup.”
Dr Szymanski says any travelling fans must be well off to begin with, to attend a World Cup. (ABC Sport: Amanda Shalala)
Dr Szymanski also countered the argument that many dedicated fans were unable to attend due to the pricing structure.
“It’s not that I love the fact that FIFA are charging these prices. I think it’s shocking price gouging,” he said.
“I’m just saying that I don’t think our objective in life should be to make life good for people who claim that they are the true fans, because actually there are way more people who like the World Cup than could ever fit in the stadiums.”
Thousands of Mexican fans celebrated in the streets after their opening two wins. (ABC Sport: Amanda Shalala)
The World Cup cash cow
Most of FIFA’s revenue comes from TV broadcasting rights, followed by marketing, licensing, and then tickets.
In non-men’s World Cup years, the not-for-profit organisation operates at a loss of several hundred million dollars. In 2022, they posted a $3.38 billion net profit.
So they count on the men’s showpiece event to bankroll them for the intervening four years, with most of the money going into running competitions and events.
While their financial reports show a breakdown of income and expenses, Dr Szymanski said he would not have an issue with FIFA charging high prices and targeting wealthy attendees, if the profits were channelled into solving global crises.
“The problem I have is that the true fans are complaining on their own behalf. I think actually this money could be used for a good cause,” he said.
“You can’t see [where FIFA is investing money], and that’s why most of us are sceptical about what they are actually doing.”
FIFA president Gianni Infantino says every dollar made goes back into football. (Reuters)
One the eve of the tournament kick-off, FIFA president Gianni Infantino insisted “every dollar we generate goes back into football”.
“If we were selling our TV rights to pay-TV, like everyone else, we would generate four times as much revenue. And we could give all the tickets away, but they would still end up on the black market,” he said.
“As FIFA president we have to strike a balance. We invest in countries where no one else does – South Sudan, Bhutan. No-one else is doing this.”
The governing body is also facing an ongoing investigation into its ticketing model, including dynamic pricing.
But fans who have made the journey have made peace with the price they have had to pay.
