Travel News · 4 min read · June 10, 2026

A week’s World Cup holiday abroad costs less than one match in America

Holiday Extras compares the cost of attending the 2026 World Cup in the USA against a week’s holiday in eight competing nations. The maths is uncomfortable for FIFA.

Short on time? Let us summarise this article for you.

Holiday Extras compared the cost of attending a single group stage match in the USA against a full week’s holiday in eight World Cup competing nations. In every case, the holiday came in cheaper, and in some cases dramatically so. Morocco and Croatia top the value list, with total trip costs from as little as £400 and £450 respectively. England fans have two particularly strong options in their own group: Croatia on 17 June and Ghana on 23 June.

Watching the 2026 World Cup in America sounds like a dream. In practice, it is eye-wateringly expensive. A mid-tier group stage ticket costs around $490 before FIFA’s mandatory 15% service fee. Add return transatlantic flights from the UK (typically £500 to £900) and accommodation in a US host city (averaging $500 or more per night during tournament weeks), and attending a single matchday in America can cost between £2,000 and £3,500 per person.

So Holiday Extras asked a different question. What if you skipped the USA entirely and flew to the home country of one of the competing nations instead? Could you watch every match in a local bar, surrounded by the most passionate fans in the world, for less than the cost of one game in Dallas or New York?

The answer, it turns out, is yes. In every single case we looked at.

The cost comparison

Holiday Extras analysed eight World Cup competing nations, comparing the all-in cost of a week’s return holiday (flights from London, seven nights in mid-range accommodation, and watching matches in a local bar) against the estimated total cost of attending a single group stage fixture in the USA.

What this means for England fans

England fans have two particularly strong options within their own group. England face Croatia on 17 June and Ghana on 23 June, and both countries offer a compelling alternative to travelling to the USA.

Croatia is the headline act. The Dalmatian coast in early summer is one of Europe’s great travel experiences, return flights from Gatwick or Stansted can cost under £100, and the total holiday can come in under £500. It is also a rematch of the 2018 World Cup semi-final, which gives the occasion a certain edge.

Ghana is another strong option. British Airways operates a direct service from Heathrow to Accra in under seven hours, and the full week’s trip is estimated at £1,000 to £1,600, still significantly cheaper than a single US matchday.

It’s not just about the money

The financial case is clear, but the experience argument runs alongside it. Sitting in a 90,000-seat American stadium for a group match, surrounded by tourists who flew the same transatlantic route you did, is a very particular kind of event. Watching in the competing country means being in a crowd with genuine emotional skin in the game. You feel every tackle, every goal and every near-miss alongside fans who have followed their national team their whole lives.

“The World Cup is supposed to be a festival of football, but FIFA’s pricing has turned attending in America into something only a minority of fans can afford. We wanted to test whether there was a better way, and the answer is pretty clear. In most cases, you can fly to the country whose team is playing, spend a week there, and watch every match in a bar surrounded by the most passionate fans in the world, for less than the cost of a single group stage ticket plus one night in a Dallas hotel.”

“For England fans specifically, Croatia in June is a particularly strong case. The Dalmatian coast in early summer, a rematch of the 2018 semi-final, and a total holiday cost that can come in under £500. That is a significantly better use of the same money than a few days in a US host city.”