Just one exception
A beer for the minimum wage: “Absurd prices” at the World Cup
Updated June 17, 2026 – 1:40 p.mReading time: 3 minutes
A beer for just under 20 euros? In the World Cup stadiums, eating and drinking is a waste of money – with one exception: an 83-year-old stadium owner remained stubborn.
In Germany, during the World Cup, a case of beer is sometimes available for around 10 euros. A price war over barley juice is currently raging in this country. For many fans, football and beer simply belong together. Also on site at the XXL World Championships in the USA, Canada and Mexico. The only difference is that a cup of beer there is usually more expensive than a case in Germany and can sometimes be at the level of the daily minimum wage.
“Absurd prices in the World Cup stadium,” wrote the Austrian portal meine.at and also had some advice for the fans of coach Ralf Rangnick’s team: “Are you planning a trip to the World Cup including a visit to the match? Editor’s note: Leave hunger and thirst in front of the stadium.” In faraway Australia, the news.com.au portal headlined: “Football fans outraged by World Cup prices.”
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Fries for 17 euros
This World Cup is putting a lot of strain on fans’ wallets thanks to horrendous ticket prices, flight and hotel costs thanks to a three-country tournament with 104 games – and it doesn’t stop there in the stadium. Up to $23 is charged for an imported beer, seen at the Santa Clara Stadium near San Francisco. That’s the equivalent of around 19.80 euros – for less than half a liter. An American beer of the same size costs 21 dollars – 18.10 euros.
Even in the final stadium in East Rutherford, not far from New York, the beer costs less – so it’s still far from cheap at around 13.80 euros for local beer and 14.65 euros for imported beer. And in Inglewood, California, where the USA team got off to an impressive start to the tournament with their 4-1 win against Panama, the operators at the drinks and food counters are charging just under 16 and 17 euros respectively. At least for 0.59 liters instead of 0.47 liters like in Santa Clara or East Rutherford.
The units of measurement at the tournament are usually given in fluid ounces (oz), which is also how the strange liter measurements come about. “The American fans can afford these prices rather than cope with a defeat by the US team,” mocked the English “Sun” about the high prices for drinks and food in the World Cup stadiums, such as chips for the equivalent of around 6.50 euros or fries for over 17 euros like in Philadelphia.