Mexico World Cup Exclusion
World Cup Returns to Mexico After 40 Years, But Many Locals Face Exclusion
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The 2026 FIFA World Cup returned to Mexico for the first time in 40 years — but millions of Mexicans are watching from the outside. A single group-stage ticket in Mexico City costs around $1,396 USD, roughly 22.5% of the average local annual income, according to CBC News. For many fans, that price is simply impossible.
The exclusion goes beyond stadium seats. Bars face licensing fees of up to 30,000 pesos ($1,750 USD) just to show games legally, according to Reuters. Fans without free TV access must pay 800 pesos ($46 USD) for a streaming subscription. Tensions over urban
Tensions over urban
And across host cities,
Ticket Prices Price Out the Very Fans Who Love Football
A single group-stage ticket in Mexico City costs around $1,396 USD, according to CBC News. That equals 22.5% of the average local annual after-tax income. In Guadalajara, it is even worse — 25.1%. Secondary market tickets for the opening match between Mexico and South Africa ranged from $3,000 to $10,000 USD, according to CNN.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has defended the prices. "If you sell it at a lower price point... it would have gone to secondary markets," he said at a June 10 press conference, according to PBS News. Critics rejected that argument. Fan Eduardo Marin, who attended Russia 2018, told reporters he is staying home this year. "It used to be for the people," he said, comparing the 2026 atmosphere to Formula One, according to Reuters.
Bars and Small Businesses Crushed by FIFA Licensing Rules
Small bars across Mexico wanted to cash in on the World Cup buzz. Instead, many have been squeezed out. Venues must pay between 4,000 and 30,000 pesos ($233–$1,750 USD) for a license to screen games legally, according to Reuters. Showing matches via a personal subscription can bring fines of up to $1.6 million USD.
Luis Bernot, manager of Salon Casino Cantina, said FIFA's branding rules are "aggressive." "They want to profit from everything," he said, according to Reuters. His bar had to remove all "World Cup" phrasing from its signs and menus to avoid penalties. Meanwhile, construction near stadiums has blocked foot traffic, cutting income for vendors who had no protection from the state.
Urban Beautification Projects Push Out Residents Near Stadiums
In neighborhoods around Estadio Azteca, property values have jumped 15–22%, far above the city's 4.5% average, according to Mexico Solidarity Media. Researchers at UNAM describe it as a "completely neoliberal urban project." Informal vendors, sex workers, and homeless residents have been displaced by what activists call the "World Cup of Gentrification."
In Guadalajara, residents face a water shortage crisis even as the city hosts World Cup matches, according to El Pais. Activists argue that public money went to "2,000 urban works" that benefit tourists, not locals. UAM Professor Adrián Hernández Cordero told reporters that platforms like Airbnb have pulled properties from the long-term rental market, accelerating displacement near host zones, according to Reuters.
Mexico Gave FIFA a Blank Check — and Locals Are Paying for It
Mexico is the only host nation to grant FIFA a full, nationwide tax exemption for the tournament. The deal was signed in 2015 under President Peña Nieto and covers all FIFA partners, broadcasters, and hotel groups. President Claudia Sheinbaum acknowledged the contract as legally binding, according to AP News.
Sheinbaum tried to soften the optics. She skipped the opening match and gave her ticket to Yolett Cervantes Cuaquehua, an Indigenous amateur player, according to GV Wire. But experts warn the damage may outlast the tournament. "Beautified" neighborhoods near stadiums are unlikely to return to affordable price levels, according to CBC News, leaving the working class permanently pushed out of their own communities.
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