World Cup fans spent anywhere from $2,500 to $150,000 to see matches

Eye-watering World Cup prices haven’t stopped soccer fans from around the world from opening their wallets.

As of July 2, some of the best resale seats for marquee knockout matches were listed for roughly $20,000 on StubHub. Many upper-level resale seats were listed for around $5,000.

But tickets are just one part of the cost. Add airfare, hotels, rental cars, meals and merchandise, and the price of attending the tournament can cost thousands of dollars more.

Outside New York’s Penn Station, soccer fans heading to World Cup matches at MetLife Stadium told CNBC Make It they expected to spend anywhere from a few thousand dollars to as much as $150,000 to attend the World Cup. Despite the price tag, none said they regretted the expense.

Visiting from the U.K., Tony Richardson and his son spent several weeks traveling across the U.S., planning their vacation around World Cup matches.

Richardson says they booked their flights early, paying about $2,000 for airfare. They also spent about $1,000 per ticket and thousands more on rental cars and hotels as they traveled across the country.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime trip,” Richardson tells CNBC Make It.

Their itinerary took them from Orlando and Daytona Beach to Dallas for one match, with stops in New Orleans, Graceland in Memphis and Niagara Falls before England’s match against Ghana in Boston. New York was the final stop.

“We’ve had a great time,” Richardson says. “The people have been absolutely fantastic. It’s really changed my perception of the U.S. Everyone’s been so friendly.”

Andrew Hall, a New Yorker and self-described “die-hard soccer fan,” didn’t have to pay for flights or hotels.

Instead, he splurged on FIFA hospitality packages, a premium alternative to standard tickets that guaranteed access to the matches he wanted and included food, drinks and lounge access. He says he paid about $2,000 per ticket and expects to spend more than $12,000 attending five matches.

“My wife kind of gave me the OK since she’s pregnant,” Andrew tells CNBC Make It. “She was like, ‘This is my gift to you. Whatever you want to spend, please spend it.'”

His wife joined him for two matches, while friends accompanied him to the other three.

Andrew says he decided to attend the tournament as soon as New York was announced as a host city, setting reminders for ticket sales and New Jersey Transit reservations so he could be first in line.

“Would I do it again? Absolutely,” Hall says. “I wish the World Cup was every year.”

Rachel and Nigel Vinecombe expect to spend about $150,000 attending 10 World Cup matches, making them the biggest spenders CNBC Make It spoke with.

They say about $100,000 of that is for FIFA ticket packages, with the rest of their spending going toward travel, lodging and other expenses. Their itinerary includes eight matches in New Jersey, plus a quarterfinal in Miami and a semifinal in Atlanta.

The couple, who split their time between Israel and Australia, flew from Tel Aviv for the tournament.

“This is my fifth World Cup,” Nigel says. “It’s a much better carnival experience with the fans than club matches. It’s something that I didn’t want to miss.”

The spending doesn’t stop when the tournament ends. The Vinecombes already plan to attend the next World Cup, which will be hosted by Portugal, Spain and Morocco.

“And it’s very worth it,” Rachel says. “We’ll do it again.”

Miguel Macias expects to spend about $2,500 during his trip to New York, including about $700 for a match ticket, $500 for airfare and roughly $1,200 for a hotel.

The Guadalajara, Mexico, resident had already attended an earlier World Cup match in Mexico City, where he spent about $1,500, including an Airbnb.

“It’s way more of a celebration with your people,” Macias tells CNBC Make It. “It’s a great experience.”

Macias says he spent four years stashing away cash for the trip.

“I saved for years for this experience, and it’s 100% worth it,” he says.

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