$20,000 for the World Cup: Singaporean fans splurge on milestone moments

KANSAS CITY – Mexico 1986 is when Jason Low’s love affair with the World Cup began.

Then only 10, he was mesmerised by the magic on the TV screen. One of the highlights of the tournament was the quarter-final between Argentina and England, which featured Diego Maradona’s controversial “Hand of God” goal and sensational solo strike.

The visuals of Mexico’s rich football culture also stuck with him, and he vowed to attend a World Cup match some day.

That dream has been realised four decades later, as Low and six of his close friends are on a trip to Mexico to celebrate turning 50 together.

They are among Singaporeans who have paid high prices to travel more than 16,000km around the world to soak in the fervour of the 2026 World Cup in North America.

Low and company watched South Korea’s 2-1 win over the Czech Republic on June 11 in Guadalajara, Sweden’s 5-1 thrashing of Tunisia in Monterrey on June 14, and they are now in Mexico City, where they will catch Colombia take on Uzbekistan on June 17.

Then, they will head to San Francisco for Paraguay’s clash with Turkey on June 19 before returning home.

Each person has forked out at least S$17,000 on flights, accommodation and match tickets, with an additional $3,000 for expenses while they are in North America.

The experience has been well worth the money, insisted Low.

“We don’t regret it at all, and we have enjoyed every single day here,” he said.

“It’s not just about football but the broader experience of being with close, childhood friends and also being able to travel to a new country and experience the (football) culture here.”

Planning for the trip started about a year ago as they wanted to mark their 50th milestone together. Low enlisted the help of his friend Aaron Kok, the founder of boutique sports travel agency 1896 Travel, who put together a package and helped with the bookings.

Sweden’s triumph has been the most entertaining on the football front, and the hospitality of the Mexicans has also impressed the group.

Low said: “The Mexicans have been extremely welcoming and everyone is really nice. We’ve had a lot of interactions with them. They really love their football and it is heartwarming to see the passion they have.”

Multiple flights and jet lag have not slowed the group down and adrenaline has kept them going, he added.

Firdaus Khan is another Singaporean who has been immersed in the World Cup excitement gripping Mexico. He was at the tournament’s opening match between the co-hosts and South Africa at the Azteca Stadium, before watching the Sweden-Tunisia game.

He has one more match – between Mexico and South Korea at the Guadalajara Stadium on June 18.

Firdaus, who also attended the 2018 and 2022 World Cup, said that his visit to the Azteca ranks on top.

“Azteca is any football fan’s dream,” said Firdaus, 36, who works in the media industry.

“If you grew up watching the World Cup, you would have seen pictures of Pele and Maradona playing in this storied venue and to go there and experience and feel it, was magical.

“The Mexican fans, the noise they made and the atmosphere they built in and around the ground will always be unforgettable.

“In terms of match-day experience, this is the best World Cup match I’ve experienced.”

Firdaus paid about $2,000 for his three match tickets and an estimated $4,500 for his flights and accommodation.

In comparison, for his 2018 trip to Russia where he watched seven matches, the total cost was about $5,000. He forked out a similar amount in 2022 for the Qatar edition.

When asked about the high costs this time, Firdaus said: “I have to admit that it is too much money. In Mexico, everyone is passionate about football but so many fans are priced out. It’s sad to see.

“While I feel fortunate to be able to do this, it is too much money and I wish more people could afford to be at a World Cup match or two.”

Danny Lee, who works in the food and beverage industry, is another Singaporean who travelled to watch the World Cup to fulfil a boyhood dream.

He caught the 2-2 draw between the Netherlands and Japan at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington on June 14, and will catch England’s World Cup opener on June 17.

Lee, 55, said he was blown away by the passion shown by the Japanese fans.

He added: “The way they kept chanting ‘Nippon, Nippon, Nippon’, the whole stadium was vibrating with their passion. It was so nice to see that as part of watching my first World Cup match. This is something I will always cherish, being able to soak in this kind of atmosphere.”

Lee, who spent around $10,000 for a week in Dallas, covering accommodation, tickets and transport, added that he is looking forward to doing it again at the next World Cup. He also encouraged other Singaporeans to experience the tournament in person at least once in their lifetime.

For other Singaporean fans like David Devaraj Ramamurthy, 64, and his friend Asothan Samynathan, 66, just being in Mexico City to soak in the buzz was enough.

The duo, who have been friends since they were students at Singapore Polytechnic, decided to make this trip to get as close as possible to the World Cup.

While they did not purchase the exorbitantly priced match tickets – which cost at least $1,000 or more – they watched Mexico’s opening match in a bar in the city alongside locals.

They paid $4,000 for their flight and accommodation for a five-day visit.

David said: “The ticket to the World Cup games was not really our priority. The whole trip was not about going to a stadium and watching a game, it was just to come here and try to soak in the World Cup atmosphere.”

And it has been an unforgettable experience, insisted David. He added: “Mexicans came out in full force in their jerseys. They were celebrating, and when the national anthem was played, they sang with gusto. When they scored, it felt like almost the whole roof would come down. It was a very memorable experience.

“This could be our last opportunity to travel to a country hosting the World Cup. We are glad we did it even if we did not go into a stadium.”