The Most Expensive World Cup Ever?

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is being billed as the biggest tournament in football history — but it may also become the most expensive World Cup ever for fans.

In this episode of Moneyball, Scott Keenan examines the business behind the modern FIFA World Cup and the growing concern that football’s biggest event is becoming financially out of reach for ordinary supporters.

With the Socceroos preparing for the tournament under coach Tony Popovic in Sarasota, Florida, Australian fans are confronting the reality of attending a World Cup spread across the United States, Canada and Mexico — with soaring airfares, hotel prices, ticket costs and internal travel expenses potentially pushing trips into the tens of thousands of dollars.

The episode also explores FIFA’s controversial use of dynamic ticket pricing, comparisons between the World Cup, Formula One and the Super Bowl, and the broader commercialisation of global sport.

Plus:

• The Socceroos’ World Cup preparation
• Why North America creates unique travel challenges
• FIFA’s response to pricing criticism
• The growing backlash from supporters
• Federation Square and the importance of fan culture
• Whether football risks drifting away from the people who built it

Moneyball: The Business of Sport is an Australian sports business podcast hosted by Scott Keenan, exploring the money, politics, media and power behind the biggest stories in sport.

Watch the show on YouTube, follow for clips and breaking news on Instagram and email your questions any time askmoneyball.show@gmail.com.