Podcast Summary: Who is the World Cup for Anymore?

Podcast: The Indicator from Planet Money
Host: NPR, Waylon Wong
Episode Date: November 11, 2025

Overview

This episode of The Indicator from Planet Money explores the escalating costs and changing dynamics of attending the 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup, which will be hosted in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Host Waylon Wong is joined by NPR’s senior business editor and longtime fan, Raphael Nam, to unpack how new ticketing strategies, soaring prices, and uncertainty are reshaping the World Cup experience, raising the question: who is the tournament really for now?

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The World Cup Comes to North America — But at What Cost?

• Expanding Scope: The upcoming tournament is the largest ever, featuring 48 teams across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

• A Fan’s Perspective: Raphael Nam shares his World Cup journey, having attended six tournaments since 1994, which was memorable for its accessibility and affordable ticket prices.

  "I was in high school then and I saw an ad in the newspaper. So I called the phone number and talked to this very nice lady and got tickets to South Korea versus Bolivia near Boston... And getting tickets was so easy." — Raphael Nam, [01:17]

2. A Shift in Ticket Pricing & Accessibility

• Dynamic Pricing: For the first time, FIFA is using dynamic pricing for tickets, akin to how airlines adjust seat prices to maximize profit.

  "Dynamic pricing? Like the way airlines sell seats at the highest price they feel they can charge until they sell out of seats on the plane." — Waylon Wong, [05:00]

• Lack of Transparency: FIFA isn’t disclosing ticket prices in advance. Fans only find out prices if they’re selected in a ticket lottery and given access to buy.

  "FIFA is not releasing many details about ticket prices. In fact, the first time fans learned about ticket prices was during a presale." — Raphael Nam, [05:15]

3. Sticker Shock and Uncertainty for Fans

• Price Surge: Tickets range from $60 (in small, select sections) to hundreds or even thousands of dollars, especially for U.S. games and the final.

  "The cheapest prices are over $500. And again, that's for a very tiny part of the stadium. And get this—many seats for the final this time will be at least $6,000." — Raphael Nam, [05:58]

• FOMO and the Lottery: Limited supply and lottery-based sales drive fans to impulsively buy for fear of missing out.

  "They sell tickets in windows, meaning instead of selling them all at once, they release tickets in batches and they hold these lotteries... it's like when you see people trampling each other to grab everything in sight during Black Friday." — Raphael Nam, [07:06]

4. New Revenue Streams: Rights to Buy and Hospitality Packages

• Right to Buy: For a premium, fans can secure the right to buy a ticket to a game/venue, but price isn’t set up front.

• Hospitality Seats: Skip the lottery entirely, pick your team or game, and enjoy VIP perks—but prices start at $1,400 for basic opening matches, reaching up to $26,000 for eight-game bundles with a final.

  "But you can also, for more money, pick which team you want to see... You can buy a bundle of eight games at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, which includes the final, the cheapest price: $26,000." — Waylon Wong, [09:00]

5. Fan Experience: Diminished Accessibility

• Secondary Markets: Some fans may try reselling tickets, but FIFA controls this marketplace as well.

• Buying Blind: Many tickets are sold before matchups are determined—fans don’t know which teams they’ll see.

  "Fans are buying tickets for games without knowing who's playing... So for every big team like Spain or England, you have Cape Verde... Uzbekistan and Jordan, which are also first timers." — Raphael Nam, [07:56]

6. Who is the World Cup For?

• Rafael's Confession: Despite misgivings, Nam admitted to buying hospitality seats, succumbing to FOMO and feeling conflicted about the spiraling costs.

  "Honestly, this is one of those, like, moments in a horror movie. Like the call is coming within the house." — Raphael Nam, [09:24]
  "I bought hospitality seats... Part of me is glad I don't have to go through all this hand wringing... FIFA holds all the cards here, right? This is the US and FIFA knows people will pay. People like me." — Raphael Nam, [09:31][09:48]

• Reflection: The hosts acknowledge that the tournament has become both a massive spectacle and increasingly inaccessible for average fans.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• FIFA’s Fan Relationship Evolution:

  "For the first time in World Cup history, the tickets are extremely expensive and hard to get." — Raphael Nam, [01:54]

• On the New World Cup Economy:

  "FIFA has said these prices are to align to the way sports tickets are priced in the US... FIFA so far is facing no issue selling tickets." — Waylon Wong, [06:17]-[06:21] "But people are paying these kinds of prices. And you know how I know?... I bought hospitality seats." — Raphael Nam, [09:16][09:31]

• The Modern Fan Dilemma:

  "Part of me is glad I don't have to go through all this hand wringing... FIFA holds all the cards here, right?" — Raphael Nam, [09:48]

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:11: Episode introduction; setting up World Cup accessibility issues
• 01:17: Raphael Nam recounts his first World Cup experience in 1994
• 03:44: FIFA’s history of controversy and prior ticket affordability
• 05:00: Introduction of dynamic pricing and lack of price transparency
• 05:58: Specifics on ticket price ranges for 2026, including U.S. games and final
• 07:06: Discussion of ticket lotteries, FOMO, and sales strategies
• 07:56: Buying tickets blind—unknown matchups, secondary market nuances
• 08:30: Rights to buy and hospitality seats explained
• 09:24: Raphael’s confession of succumbing to FOMO and buying hospitality seats
• 10:13: Wrapping up—reflection on what fans really get for the price

Tone & Takeaways

• The discussion is lively, honest, and slightly incredulous at the growing commercialization of the World Cup. Both hosts balance nostalgia for accessible fandom with candid skepticism about the direction FIFA is heading.
• The episode leaves listeners questioning whether global sporting spectacles are still for the masses—or for the most privileged and determined fans.

This summary captures the full arc of the episode and its core insights, helping listeners and non-listeners alike understand how FIFA’s evolving business model is reshaping the fan experience, often to the detriment of accessibility but clearly in pursuit of maximum profit.