According to an investigation by The Athletic, food and beverage prices at MetLife Stadium, which will host the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, are in the mid-range, with a 16 oz American beer costing $16.

On final day, some fans at MetLife Stadium will be just as interested in food and beverage prices as they are in the starting lineups of Spain and Argentina. Due to an extended intermission—during which Justin Bieber, Shakira, and other performers will take the stage, followed by a awards ceremony, trophy presentation, and on-field celebrations—those lucky enough to secure tickets will spend a long afternoon and evening, during which food and beverage purchases will be essential.

So what can fans buy at this stadium located outside New York City? How do MetLife's prices compare to other 2026 World Cup venues? For this World Cup, held across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, The Athletic's reporters visited all 16 stadiums and compiled a list of offerings at each. They found more than 100 unique menu items, primarily in general seating areas rather than suites. For items like beer where multiple sizes were available, reporters standardized them to 16 ounces (approximately 475 ml, slightly less than a pint) for comparison, calculating prices per ounce using the unit price of the largest size and rounding to the nearest 25 cents. Where necessary, Canadian dollars and Mexican pesos were converted to U.S. dollars using a consistent exchange rate.

For fans heading to MetLife in New Jersey on Sunday, the good news is there's a wide variety of food and beverage options, but they need to find the right concession stand. On a menu reviewed by reporters, the only non-snack items that could be considered a full meal were hot or sweet sausage sandwiches, both priced at $14 (approximately £10). For something lighter, there were Sabritas snacks ($10), including salt-and-lime and chili-and-lime flavors, and potato chips ($5). But once you found the right stand, the selection was abundant, with the main combo being four chicken tenders, fries, and a Coca-Cola for $19 (approximately £14). Without a soft drink, the price was $14–$15, and with one fewer chicken tender, it was $13.

Based on images shared on social media by fans who attended previous World Cup matches at MetLife, other items included: deli sandwiches ($16, approximately £12), stadium hot dogs ($8.50), fries ($8), cheese fries ($9), pretzel twists ($9, plus $1 extra for a cheese cup), fried clam strips ($6), turkey sandwiches ($7), cheese pizza ($11), or pepperoni pizza ($12). For water, a 20 oz bottle cost $5 (approximately £3.75), and soft drinks of the same size (Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Sprite, and Fanta were available) cost $6, with sports drinks (Gatorade) at $7. For alcoholic beverages, a 16 oz American beer (Michelob Ultra) cost $16 (approximately £12), $3 more than the non-alcoholic version, which was also available. Craft or imported beer cost $17, with an extra $1 for draft. For more upscale drinks, a 12 oz can of Nutrl seltzer or cocktail cost $19, and mixed cocktails, including Casamigos Margarita or Buchanan's "Buchanita," cost $17. A 6.3 oz (186 ml) glass of wine cost $15.

Concession menus for this World Cup are not standardized, as FIFA has retained the existing food and beverage operators at all 16 stadiums. At previous World Cups, event organizers standardized food and beverage offerings and prices across all venues. However, for 2026, FIFA has contracted with the companies that service each stadium during NFL games or national soccer league matches (such as Aramark or Sodexo). This new model essentially allows stadiums and their contractors to set their own prices, and their strategies naturally vary. However, overall, a FIFA spokesperson told The Athletic: "Prices are largely in line with those of regular events at each venue."

Among the 16 stadiums, The Athletic found that each sold five standard items: water, soft drinks, potato chips, domestic beer, and craft or imported beer. *Beer prices are compared based on unit price per ounce, using the unit price of the largest size at each venue.

It's difficult for any venue to compete with Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which has adopted a "fan-first" pricing strategy championed by Atlanta Falcons owner and Home Depot co-founder Arthur Blank, whose holding company AMB Sports and Entertainment owns the stadium. Of the five items listed above, MetLife's water price tied for the sixth-cheapest among the 16 stadiums with Toronto's BMO Field, and is far more reasonable compared to the AT&T Stadium near Dallas ($8.25, approximately £6.25). At the New Jersey stadium, the price of a 20–22 oz soft drink ranked third-cheapest among the 16 stadiums, $5.39 cheaper than Atlanta's Lincoln Financial Field and Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium (the most expensive at $11.39). For 16 oz domestic beer, MetLife's price was exactly mid-range among the 11 stadiums where reporters found it sold. Four stadiums offered cheaper options, five were more expensive, and Boston's Gillette Stadium also sold it for $16. In the 16 oz craft or imported beer category, six of the other 10 stadiums were more expensive, and four were cheaper than MetLife's $17. As for food, potato chips tied for third-cheapest among the 16 stadiums. Among items common to several other stadiums, MetLife's popcorn ($6, approximately £4.50) ranked second-cheapest among the 12 stadiums reporters found selling it, behind only Atlanta's $2. Among the 12 stadiums selling pretzels, MetLife's tied for fifth-cheapest. Fans will reasonably continue to consider these prices high compared to the Premier League.

Traducido por IA.

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