With the World Cup set to kick off this summer, frustration among fans is reaching a boiling point — and not just over match tickets.
FIFA is facing growing backlash after officially listing parking passes for 2026 World Cup games in the United States at prices reaching $300 per vehicle, even though some of the designated parking locations are more than a mile from the stadiums.
For fans preparing to attend matches in person, the timing couldn’t be worse. With kickoff approaching and limited public transit options in many U.S. host cities, parking has become an unavoidable expense — and critics say FIFA is monetizing that reality at the last possible moment.
According to reporting by The Athletic, FIFA has begun selling official parking for matches at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles for between $250 and $300 per matchday, per vehicle. SoFi will host eight World Cup matches this summer, including the United States’ opening game and a quarterfinal, both of which carry the highest parking prices.
The controversy intensified after fans discovered that many of the listed parking spaces are not located at the stadium itself. Several of the $300 spots are near the Intuit Dome, home of the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers — roughly a 20 to 25 minute walk from SoFi Stadium.
In a statement to The Athletic, a FIFA spokesperson defended the pricing, saying parking costs are “determined based on local market conditions and benchmarking against comparable major events previously held in each host city.”
The 2026 World Cup trophy shown under the U.S., Canada and Mexico crests, reflecting the tri-nation hosting partnership at the heart of football’s biggest and most ambitious tournament yet.
That justification has been met with skepticism, particularly when compared to everyday pricing at the same venues. Parking at the Intuit Dome typically costs around $56.50 for Clippers games. For the upcoming NBA All-Star Game, hosted in the same complex, parking is listed at $88. Meanwhile, Los Angeles Rams games at SoFi Stadium usually charge about $71 for parking in lots directly adjacent to the stadium.
Those closer lots, however, are expected to sit inside FIFA’s secure perimeter during World Cup matches and may not be accessible to ticket-holding fans at all.
Los Angeles appears to be one of the most expensive host cities so far, but it is not alone. Parking prices in Philadelphia have climbed into the hundreds, while Atlanta pricing reportedly varies by match — from about $75 for select group games to nearly $200 for semifinal fixtures.
Several venues, including Gillette Stadium near Boston and Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, have already sold out of official parking inventory. Other host cities — including Houston, the San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, and the New York/New Jersey region — have yet to release parking passes, raising concerns that prices could climb even higher as demand spikes closer to kickoff.
Adding to the frustration, parking passes have already appeared on secondary marketplaces, where resellers are offering spots to the highest bidder — mirroring the same resale surge that has driven match ticket prices upward.
With fans finalizing travel plans and budgets just weeks before the tournament begins, critics say the parking rollout reflects a broader pattern of FIFA prioritizing revenue over accessibility. What was once a routine part of attending a match has now become another financial hurdle — and a growing source of anger — as the World Cup’s summer start draws closer.
