With more than five million fans expected to travel to the United States for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, knowing which stadiums to avoid could make the difference between a memorable trip and a miserable one.
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Ticketing experts SeatPick analysed all 11 US host venues across seven cost and survivability metrics – beer and water prices, hotel rates, feels-like temperatures, violent crime levels and mosquito activity – to produce a final fan experience score out of 10.
Ranking US World Cup stadiums
SoFi Stadium in Inglewood finishes bottom with a score of 5.82. A beer costs $14 (R228), a bottle of water $7 (R114), and hotel rates average $383 (R6,235) per night. It also records the highest mosquito risk score in the entire dataset – a maximum of 10.
NRG Stadium in Houston sits one place above on 5.96 and brings the most punishing conditions of any venue. Fans face a feels-like temperature of 47 degrees Celsius, the highest violent crime rate of all host cities at 1,148 cases per 100,000 people and mosquito activity of 9.1.
MetLife Stadium in New Jersey and Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia rank in the bottom half on 6.32 and 6.44, respectively, while AT&T Stadium in Arlington scores 7.07.
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Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta records the lowest violent crime rate of any venue at 450 cases per 100,000 people and scores 7.87.
Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City finishes second overall with 8.03, combining affordable costs with a well-rounded experience, with hotel rates averaging on the lower end at $220 (R3,582) per night.
Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, takes top spot with 8.08 – with temperatures of roughly 28 degrees Celsius, minimal mosquitoes and a beer at $8.58 (R140). The one drawback is accommodation, with hotel rates averaging $611 (R9,947) per night – the highest of all host cities.
Originally published by Soccermag.
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