Soccer fans in the two Canadian cities hosting FIFA World Cup matches are not opening their wallets as eagerly as planners hoped. World Cup matches in Toronto and Vancouver have not yet sold out with the games set to begin in less than two weeks.
Many fans are upset with the strict way FIFA handles its ticket sales, and in Toronto there are few exceptions.
"Really upsetting to see ticket prices where they are," one soccer fan said. "I feel like it really pushes the game out of rush for a lot of people who want to be there and want to show up. And it’s really disheartening."
Many tickets for the opening game in Toronto between Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina are still available. The problem: You can’t find any for less than $3,000 a piece. Even blocks of seats available for other matches over the course of the tournament that don’t feature Canada are priced between $600 and $1,600.
But it’s not just the ticket prices.
"Hotels are very expensive in Vancouver and Toronto," said Michael Naraine, a sports management professor at Brock University. "Airline flights are very expensive right now."
Naraine said when you add those to the price of tickets, there’s little value in attending the games for the average sports fan.
He and other analysts say the domestic political climate in the U.S., especially concerning immigration and detention and the war against Iran, might keep some visitors from traveling to North America.
Many Canadian fans say they plan to watch the games in comfort at their local sports bars. Bars are restricted about how they can market the games; no tournament logo or the words "FIFA" or "World Cup," or anything that suggests the bar is an official venue.
The City of Toronto could use enforcement measures such as issuing fines or laying charges, if warranted.
