Argentinare skuldsätter sig för att se sitt landslag

Med Fifa:s tillämpning av ett så kallat dynamiskt biljettsystem, där priserna styrs av efterfrågan, kostar det uppemot 9000 kronor att se Argentina spela i VM.

Matías Celestino är precis som många andra argentinare kritisk till Fifa, som enligt honom stänger ute de verkliga fotbollssupportrarna: "De vill göra VM till en rikemansshow, men fotboll, det är folkets sport”, säger han.

Trots att Matías skuldsatt sig för att köpa flygresor och hotell till sig och sin fru och son har han inte ens några match-biljetter.

For instance, FIFA’s Category 1 prices in the 2026 group stage, excluding openers, range from $450 to $990. In 2022, the same tickets cost $220. Category 1 tickets for the 2026 quarterfinals cost at least $1,360 — up from $425 at the last World Cup.

In the past, tickets that cost around $1,000 were reserved for the World Cup final or for the best seats at the semifinals in 2022. Now, if you want a decent seat, it costs that much to watch the United States play Turkey in the group stage.

In all, following Argentina to the final would cost around $31,000.

That's particularly striking when considering that Argentina's GDP per capita is roughly $14,300.

For many Argentines, financing tournament trips has rarely been straightforward. Argentina’s volatile economy, with low wages and skyrocketing inflation, often forces people to work two or even three jobs to make ends meet. The average monthly income for registered workers is about $1,200, and nearly half of the work force operates informally, often earning less.

But experts say it is precisely because of Argentina’s history of political and economic instability that world-class soccer serves as a key linchpin to their national pride.

“We are a poor country, we are a failed country, but we are the best fans,” said Pablo Alabarces, a sociologist and author of several books on soccer.

Some fans start saving at the end of one World Cup for the next one, while others commit funds they don’t have.