The World Cup kicks off this summer, spanning the United States, Canada and Mexico, and Andy Milne, 62, is determined to be there.
A devoted England supporter residing in Thailand, Milne is ready to sell his rental property in northern England, valued at $465,000, to fund his trip, according to The Associated Press.
“I’m selling it to go to the World Cup. I want to see the whole tournament,” Milne declared.
He plans to embark on his stateside adventure on June 3, immersing himself in the tournament’s excitement for a full seven weeks.
England’s first game is in Dallas on June 17.
How much would it cost to attend every USMNT match?
The U.S. kicks off on June 12 at SoFi Stadium in California.
ESPN published an article calculating the hypothetical expenses for an American fan if the U.S. Men’s National Team reaches the World Cup final.
The breakdown accounts for game tickets, flights, hotels, ground transportation, merchandise and miscellaneous spending.
The estimated total cost of $34,525 would be:
- More than double the median annual rent in the United States from 2020 to 2024
- Almost triple the 2025-26 average tuition for a U.S. public four-year in-state college
What do the numbers say?
Fans often spend crazy amounts of money just to go to games.
Research suggests such high-stakes fandom is increasingly common; according to Ally Bank, annual spending on sporting events averages $2,050 for millennials and $1,550 for Gen Z.
A survey conducted by Talker Research for SquadLocker, highlighted in a New York Post article, categorizes sports fans based on their annual spending:
- “Raging” fans: $879 on average per year
- “Big” fans: $593 on average per year
- “Moderate” fans: $376 on average per year
This expenditure includes tickets, concessions, apparel and related items.
But those are just the averages — the real-world stories get even wilder.
Here’s a look at the extreme lengths some dedicated fans are willing to reach, highlighting instances where the sheer desire to be present at a game completely eclipsed any sense of financial caution.
Nav Bhatia
Originally from India, Nav Bhatia has not missed a Toronto Raptors basketball home game since 1995.
Beginning as a salesman, he now owns multiple car dealerships in Canada.
But it wasn’t always this easy.
According to Now Toronto, early in his fan journey, he worked up to 100 hours per week to afford attending every game.
He rented a basement for $340. By the end of his first 90 days as a car salesman, he had sold an astonishing 127 cars, leading to continued success and eventual promotions.
When the Raptors won the NBA Finals in 2019, he received a championship ring.
In 2021, the man was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
Olympic super fan
According to The Associated Press, 66-year-old Vivianne Robinson has attended seven Summer Olympic Games over the last 40 years.
In 2024, she spent $10,000 to attend the Paris Games, almost maxing out all her credit cards.
The opening ceremony alone was $1,600.
Her story has been well-documented, including a feature on ABC Sports.
As a Los Angeles native, there’s no way she plans on missing the 2028 Summer Games.
Super Bowl LII
When the Philadelphia Eagles took on the New England Patriots in Super Bowl in 2018, there was apparently someone who spent over $132K on tickets for a group of 10 people.
That comes out to more than $13,000 per person.
For their sake, I really hope they were Eagles fans. Philadelphia won the game 41-33.
Super Bowl LX
As for the most recent Super Bowl, an Australian Patriots fan spent around $150,000 to bring his family of five to the game.
“I reckon I spent 150 thousand,” he said.
He estimated $80,000 on tickets and $65,000 on business class flights.
“It’s priceless. It’s going to be a lifetime memory for the kids. It’s going to be great,” he said.
Unfortunately for this man and his family, the Patriots lost 29-13.
A torn Achilles?
A UConn men’s basketball fan watching the Elite 8 game from home tore his Achilles while celebrating Braylon Mullins’ game-winning 3-pointer with less than a second remaining.
Please note that this linked tweet contains graphic language.
The UConn Huskies were defeated by the Michigan Wolverines on Monday night in the national championship game.
Someone might need to check on this fan.
$50K for the World Series
A Chicago Cubs fan spent nearly $50,000 on two tickets for the 2016 World Series Game 7, where the Cubs claimed their first title in 108 years, perhaps justifying the expense.
According to Yahoo Sports, the anonymous fan paid $23,400 each for two box seats along the first-base line.
You could buy a 2026 Toyota Corolla with that.
Malawi to New York
Fox 4 Kansas City reported on a 7-year-old Buffalo Bills fan from Malawi who traveled over 8,000 miles to watch his favorite player, Josh Allen, play.
The article did not specify the expenses, but the cost for the foreign visitors was likely substantial. Despite staying with family, the prices of flights and game tickets alone were probably quite significant.
“Lots of airplanes,” the young fan’s mother said.
