This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Michael McCready, 57, who has attended four World Cups around the world. It has been edited for length and clarity.
I remember being as young as 5 and loving soccer. I’d go on to become a longtime fan of international football.
In 1994, I had just moved to Chicago, and the city was one of the host cities for the World Cup. As it was essentially in my backyard, I got the chance to go — my first experience seeing what happens when people from all around the world who loved football as I did gather in one place.
Everyone supported their team with so much passion. The atmosphere was full of patriotism and excitement.
I went to 3 more World Cups
I remember watching Germany play in a friendly game, one of the early-stage games, but it was Germany, one of the best teams in the world.
Once I got married and had children, my World Cup adventures came to a pause. The next one I attended was in South Africa in 2010. I flew from Chicago to Atlanta and then took a 17-hour flight from Atlanta to Johannesburg.
On this trip, I did everything I could to learn about the culture I was immersed in. I visited townships, a savanna, and a forest reserve, went to Port Elizabeth, and walked where Nelson Mandela had walked. I met people from so many countries, who spoke so many languages.
Then I saw a semi-final match and was gifted a ticket to the final between Spain and the Netherlands.
In the stadiums, everyone was blowing into vuvuzelas, which filled the stadiums with a loud, bee-like hum I had never heard before and haven’t heard since.
The next World Cup I went to was in 2018, in Russia. I flew to Helsinki and then took the train to St. Petersburg. This is the same train that Vladimir Lenin took when he came and took over St. Petersburg. I walked down the same streets where the Russian Revolution took place. I went into the Winter Palace. As a history buff, these experiences were incredible.
I explored the deepest subway system in the world, ate out in restaurants where hardly any English was spoken, and walked around St. Petersburg before seeing two semi-final matches.
And then there was Qatar in 2022. Stadiums were built specifically for the World Cup, positioning the country as a sports destination. There wasn’t any alcohol available, air conditioning was blowing up from sidewalks, and there were markets with spices, rugs, hunting falcons, and even a camel for sale.
I’m worried about the high prices for the World Cup in the US
This year, the World Cup is back in the United States, and prices are absurd.
From what I’ve seen, the starting price for the final this year is $4,500, and tickets for the final are currently on sale in the secondary market for up to $73,000.
That’s just the price of a ticket. You add in a domestic flight for $500 (triple that if international), $400 a night in a hotel (for however many nights you stay), and then any food — it’s a trip that costs thousands.
I think the World Cup this year will have a disappointing turnout. But if you do manage to get a ticket and can afford the experience, here are my top tips.
Give yourself plenty of time to get where you need to go
You cannot be in a hurry on game days, so make sure you build in lots of time to get wherever you need to go.
If you’re not rushed, you can soak in the atmosphere, not missing anything or anyone around you.
Visit a fan zone
Every World Cup has fan zones. You can show up here without tickets and watch the game on a big screen. Say you only have a ticket to one game — you can watch all the other games in these zones.
It’s a fun way to experience all the World Cup excitement, and it’s arguably more convenient to watch because you’ve got the big screen and can see everything happening in the game, without having to navigate a stadium.
If you can afford it, bring your kids
Children know and love the teams and players. They get really excited about the matches. By bringing them along, we’re getting the next generation of soccer fans excited about the sport and keeping the love of the game alive.
Use public transportation
Absolutely take public transportation. Not being a local, you won’t know where to park if you rent a car. And you’re looking at tens of thousands of people parking near the stadium at the same time. And Uber and taxi prices will be through the roof and hard to coordinate.
When using public transportation, plan your route just as you would if you were driving somewhere new.
Buy the World Cup mementos
World Cups only come around every four years, so I would encourage you, if you go, to get one of the T-shirts they are selling. In the future, if you see someone wearing the same, it’s a conversation starter about how you were both there.
