"These two things, coffee and popcorn, cost $20." The tone of this American Inter fan, accompanied by his little daughter, is not resigned, amazed or disheartened by the high expense.
Rather, it is that of a knowledgeable person, accustomed to certain prices. Especially inside an American sports complex.
This is how much a day at the stadium costs
These prices are out of step with what most Europeans are used to. So if you are thinking of attending a match of the next World Cup in the United States, which, it must be said, will also involve Mexico and Canada, get ready. Not only to plan the trip, but to take a deep sigh before putting your hand in your wallet.
Because once you enter a stadium like the one in Los Angeles or Seattle, which Flashscore has visited, every breath will have a price - and the high cost is not about the ticket.
Sandwich $19, beer $15
The prices, not just for buying a ticket, but for drinking and eating inside the stadium, are not typical prices. And the fans who arrived from Italy understood this well.
A couple of Nerazzurri supporters can hardly believe it, struggling with a little daily bleeding: "We came for the games in Seattle. Objectively speaking, 15 euros for this beer that would cost two euros in Italy... we're a bit out of the market."
Inflation in recent years has dealt a blow to American families, but for Europeans, the difference has become even heavier as time has passed, partly due to a euro-dollar exchange rate that is no longer advantageous for tourists from the continent.
Uber to go to the stadium, tickets and a beer, the bill can add up to $150. Normality, then, becomes luxury, and it appeals to the fans' enthusiasm: "In the past few days,' the two Nerazzurri fans continue, "we found a car park that asked for 40 dollars for an hour. But also breakfast, drinks and food, all expensive."
'Modular' experience
Actually, the fan experience in the US can be for all budgets. Depending on how you organise your visit to the stadium. If you decide to pop into the store, like the fan accompanied by his daughter, the expense can go up to $400: "I think I'll spend around that amount today, $200 each."
If you then decide to make it big, not even that big, by buying a seat not far from the field, the bill will exceed a thousand dollars. That's how much this family, pictured in the photo, arrived from Canada to attend Inter's match against the Urawa Red.
"The tickets were just over a thousand, and then there's everything we'll buy here... but for our team," says the dad in English, "We do this and more."
An "unmemorable" dream
A thousand dollars just to get into the stadium, 250 "big bucks" each. And for food and drink? "I don't know, probably another two or three hundred dollars. We'll see."
The World Cup has always been a dream, but if you don't do the maths right before you leave, it could turn into your worst nightmare. If you decide to go, the advice is simple, take a deep breath and stop thinking about your wallet.
It may not be a cheap dream, but it will certainly be, in every sense, unforgettable.
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