Walter Solari stood near the food vendors at FIFA Fan Fest, wondering whether the bedazzled corndog in his hand was worth the $24 he just coughed up.
“It’s crazy,” he said. “It came with a pop, but it’s so expensive. ”
Across the grounds, there were sporadic murmurs from other frustrated soccer fans complaining about the overpriced food menu.
A popsicle, for example, was priced at $8 before tax. To get a regular poutine, or a medium-sized jerk chicken, fan fest attendees had to pay at least $20.
“If you want my honest opinion, it’s a lot, and they’re still asking for a tip,” said Heric Garcia, who was at the fan fest to support Mexico on opening day.
Another fan, who was about to devour a small hot dog he says he paid around $15 for, called the prices “ridiculous,” though his friend admitted such prices were expected.
While one vendor told the Star that prices at the fan fest — which he says are higher than what he would regularly charge — were not set by individual sellers, city staff say otherwise.
“Food vendors establish their own prices for food offerings at FIFA Fan Festival Toronto,” a city spokesperson said in an email statement to the Star, reversing an earlier statement that “host cities set the prices” for food and beverages.
Things were no better at Toronto Stadium during Canada’s home opener.
Prices included chicken tenders and fries at $25, $7 bottles of water and more options for expensive poutine.
To acquire the flagship Visa Cardholder Combo — two foot-long hot dogs and two pops — fans had to pay about $60 after taxes.
To some, however, this was just “par for the course.”
“Every time you go to a sporting event of any kind, it’s going to be pretty expensive,” Brad Thompson said during Canada’s home opener on Friday.
At Rogers Stadium, spectators experience similar prices for bottles of water to those being charged at FIFA Fan Fest, while cheaper beer options can start at around $15.
Still, many are taken aback by pricing trends at FIFA World Cup events.
A recent analysis of host-city pricing highlighted that beer prices at World Cups have steadily increased over the past five tournaments, with the 2026 tournament on track to set new records.
“The findings highlight a growing gap between everyday city prices and the cost of the matchday experience,” said PlayersTime data analyst Aleksandra Dimitrova.
The report found that stadium beer prices in most host cities are significantly higher than those at local restaurants and bars, often ranging from roughly 40 per cent to more than 120 per cent higher.
While some of the largest markups were found in U.S. host cities, fans attending matches in Toronto are facing similarly steep prices.
At Toronto Stadium, a domestic beer such as Budweiser costs $16.75. Fans looking for a premium option can expect to pay even more, with some draught beers priced at $23. A king can is available for $24.25, while a nine-ounce glass of wine costs $26.25.
For many, like Thompson, those prices have become an unavoidable part of the modern sporting-event experience.
But for others already frustrated by the cost of tickets, transportation and food, the expensive concessions have become a sticking point in their World Cup experience.
“As supporters budget for flights, hotels, and tickets, the concession stand may become one of the tournament’s most expensive surprises,” Dimitrova said.
For those willing to shell out for steep food prices in order to attend fan fest, there may still be opportunities to get in for free, according to FIFA.
During a media scrum on Saturday afternoon, FIFA Secretariat executive director Sharon Bollenbach revealed that while free tickets are currently listed as sold out, FIFA continues to release additional tickets each day as it monitors crowd capacity.
“Each day, probably in the morning, we’ll be seeing how capacity is … even throughout the day,” she said.
Bollenbach added that as fans left the grounds after Canada’s home opener, space became available for other ticket-holders to come in.
With files from Libaan Osman
