World Cup 'beyond reach' of most families as England superfan pays £20k for trip

EXCLUSIVE: World Cup 'beyond reach' of most families as England superfan pays £20k for tripOwen Pickering says the tournament is now 'beyond the reach' of most families and the prices are 'unaffordable' for your average fan after he paid £20,000 to take his familyNewsJeremy Armstrong News Reporter14:15, 06 Apr 2026Updated 14:15, 06 Apr 2026World Cup 2026: England drawn in Group LAn England superfan who is forking out £20,000 to take his family to the World Cup says the tournament is now 'beyond the reach' of most families.‌Dad-of-seven Owen Pickering, of Crawley, West Sussex, has booked a holiday to Florida so his children can enjoy both the Disney World Resort and the football. But Owen said the combination of ticket travel costs and rocketing hotel prices was making the US World Cup unaffordable.‌The most expensive ticket in history for a football match, priced at £8,333, has gone on sale for the World Cup final. Meanwhile hotels are charging £600-£800 a night for rooms which would cost less than half that prior to the tournament.‌View 4 ImagesOwen has forked out £20k to get his family to Florida to watch the World Cup(Image: Owen Pickering family photo)READ MORE: Three Arsenal stars spotted back in training after injuries but multiple players still absentREAD MORE: UK holidaymakers warned of new £100 charge kicking off this weekFans' groups warn that the cost of a shuttle train service for one England group game venue is quadrupling, now costing £80. Owen, a financial worker, said: "They are robbing people, how can they justify charging this kind of money? Some very rich firms are prepared to pay those prices for the final. But I would not pay that. You cannot afford that with a family."The official England fan club for our supporters had an allocation of 4,500 final tickets, but only 3,409 fans applied for them, an indication of the concern of ordinary supporters. The cheapest $60 tickets (around £45) were i...