Travel Guides · 7 min read · 2026

It's better and cheaper to watch the World Cup in a foreign bar

FIFA has turned attending the 2026 World Cup in the USA into one of the most expensive sporting experiences on earth. So we asked a different question: what if you flew to the country you wanted to watch, found a bar, and watched the match there instead?

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

A mid-tier group stage ticket for the 2026 World Cup in the USA costs around $490 before FIFA's 15% service fee, on top of transatlantic flights and hotels running at $500+ per night in host cities. For many matches, a week's return holiday in the competing country costs less than a single matchday in America. We've identified eight destinations where the numbers work compellingly : from a £60 return flight to Morocco to a £450 week in Croatia. England fans have two particularly strong options in their own Group L.

FIFA's 2026 World Cup ticket pricing has generated two state attorney general investigations, a wave of fan fury, and at least one moment when the governing body had to introduce a symbolic $60 "supporter" tier to stop the bad press from getting worse. Dynamic pricing, uncapped resale, and a North American market that FIFA has openly said it is "adapting to" have combined to make attending the tournament in person one of the most expensive sporting options available to a British fan this summer.

A mid-tier group stage ticket currently costs around $490 before FIFA's mandatory 15% service fee is added. A knockout match costs substantially more. Add transatlantic flights - typically £500 to £900 return from the UK - and accommodation at $500 or more per night in most host cities during tournament weeks, and the total cost of attending a single group match in the USA runs to £2,000 to £3,500 per person, conservatively.

We started wondering whether it was cheaper to simply go to the country playing, book a decent holiday, and watch the match in a bar. It turns out: for most World Cup nations, it very much is.

Why watching abroad beats watching in America

The experience argument is almost as strong as the financial one. Sitting in a 90,000-seat American stadium watching a group match between two nations that aren't yours, surrounded by tourists who flew the same transatlantic route you did, is a very particular kind of event. Sitting in a bar in Morocco when the Atlas Lions score, or in a konoba in Split when Croatia equalise, or in Buenos Aires when Messi gets the ball in his final World Cup, is something else entirely.

The World Cup is at its most vivid when you are where the passion is. That passion is in the home countries, not in the host venues. Here are eight places where you can access it for less money than flying to America.

Short-haul: the value destinations

These are the cases where the financial argument is at its most overwhelming - countries close enough and cheap enough that the comparison with North American attendance is almost absurd.

Morocco

Morocco qualified for 2026 and are genuine dark-horse contenders. Their 2022 run to the semi-final is still talked about across North Africa. Flights from London to Marrakech, Casablanca or Fes currently start at under £60 return, with returns under £120 widely available for June and July. A mid-range riad or hotel for seven nights runs £250 to £450. Total indicative cost: £400 to £700.

Morocco is three and a half hours from London. The Atlas Mountains, the Sahara fringe, Chefchaouen, the Marrakech medina and the Atlantic coast of Essaouira all sit within easy reach of a week-long trip. And if Morocco are playing when you are there, the atmosphere in a local cafe or bar will be unlike anything replicable in a stadium in Texas.

Matchday Abroad | Holiday Extras

Our handy tool shows you which bars are showing the World Cup while you're away, so you can enjoy the games like a local

In Tips & Advice June 9 2026

Portugal

This is almost certainly Cristiano Ronaldo's last World Cup. Watching Portugal in a Lisbon bar, in Porto, or on a terrace in the Algarve, during those matches carries a weight that sitting in MetLife Stadium simply cannot replicate. Return flights from UK airports to Lisbon, Porto or Faro run £80 to £180 for June and July. Seven nights mid-range accommodation runs £350 to £600. Total indicative cost: £500 to £850.

Croatia : the England fan's best option

England face Croatia on 17 June in Dallas, a rematch of the 2018 semi-final that Croatia won. Croatia's Dalmatian coast is one of the most beautiful holiday destinations in Europe and in June, before the absolute peak of the summer rush, still very accessible. Flights from Gatwick or Stansted to Dubrovnik or Split start at under £100 return and rarely exceed £200 in June. Seven nights mid-range accommodation runs £350 to £600. Total indicative cost: £450 to £850.

Croatia will be acutely invested in this fixture. Watching England vs Croatia from a terrace bar in Split, among a crowd who still talk about 2018 in Moscow, is a sporting experience with no equivalent available in Dallas at any price.

Mid-range: still cheaper than America

These destinations involve longer flights and higher overall costs, but still compare favourably with the full cost of North American World Cup attendance for most travellers.

Argentina

Argentina are the defending world champions and still have Lionel Messi. If this is his last tournament - which most expect it to be - the Buenos Aires bar experience during an Argentina match will be one of the defining sporting atmospheres of 2026. Return flights from London to Buenos Aires run £700 to £900 in June. Accommodation in Argentina is cheap by European standards: £250 to £450 for seven mid-range nights. Total indicative cost: £1,000 to £1,400.

Colombia

Colombia have never progressed beyond the quarter-finals despite producing some of the most expressive football in South America for a generation. Their fans are passionate, their cities have transformed in the past decade, and the cost of living is very low for UK visitors. Return flights run £500 to £800. Seven mid-range nights run £200 to £400. Total indicative cost: £750 to £1,200.

Japan

Japan have the most passionate domestic football culture in Asia and public screenings for Samurai Blue matches draw enormous, extraordinarily well-organised crowds. July is the most expensive month for Japan flights, so early booking is essential. Return flights run £700 to £1,000 in July. Seven mid-range nights: £400 to £800. Total indicative cost: £1,200 to £1,900.

South Korea

In 2002, when South Korea co-hosted the World Cup, Seoul's streets turned red for every match. That energy returns at every tournament. Seoul is one of the most exciting city-break destinations in the world. The cost of the trip compares well with North America for a full week's holiday. Return flights run £700 to £900. Seven mid-range nights: £350 to £600. Total indicative cost: £1,100 to £1,600.

Ghana : the England fan's second option

England face Ghana on 23 June in Boston. It will be the first competitive fixture between the two nations, and Ghana's sixth World Cup. Accra is a lively, underrated destination, Cape Coast is historically extraordinary, and the football atmosphere will be unlike anything in Europe. British Airways flies direct from Heathrow in under seven hours. Return flights run £600 to £900 for June, though July holiday-season demand pushes prices up, so booking early matters. Total indicative cost: £1,000 to £1,600.

What does attending in America actually cost?

To be clear about what we are comparing against: FIFA's group stage tickets currently start at around $490 for a mid-tier seat before the mandatory 15% service fee is added. Knockout matches cost significantly more, with some quarter-final and semi-final tickets running into thousands of dollars. The uncapped official resale platform means secondary market prices have no ceiling.

Add return flights from the UK to a US host city - typically £500 to £900 depending on the venue - and accommodation at $500 or more per night in cities like New York, Los Angeles, Dallas and Boston during the tournament, and the realistic total for a single group match matchday runs to £2,000 to £3,500. For a knockout game or the final, considerably more.

A few things worth knowing before you book

Match kick-off times in the USA are scheduled for North American audiences, which means most games kick off at 9pm or 10pm UK time : early morning or afternoon local time in many of these destinations. Check the specific schedule for your country's matches before planning your trip around a bar screening.

June is already high summer season for Croatia and Portugal, so flight and hotel prices will be closer to the top of our estimated ranges. Book early. Morocco and Colombia are less seasonally affected and offer more flexibility.

For Japan and South Korea, July is the most expensive month of the year for flights from the UK. The difference between booking 12 weeks out and booking last-minute can be several hundred pounds per person on those routes.

None of the flight estimates above include the cost of match-related travel within the USA : getting from your hotel to the stadium in Dallas, Boston, or New Jersey, which adds further time and cost to the American option.

And finally: the memories. A World Cup match attended at great expense in a vast American stadium, where 60,000 fans from every nation are present and the host nation connection is commercial rather than cultural, is one kind of experience. Being in the home country when the goal goes in is another kind entirely. The numbers in this guide suggest you don't have to choose the expensive version.