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Love it or loathe it, football fever’s about to take hold. The 2026 FIFA World Cup is due to kick off on 11 June when Mexico, one of three host nations along with the US and Canada, take on South Africa in Mexico City at 20:00 (British Summer Time).
As excitement builds among both footie fans and casual spectators alike, a major sporting event can present an extra drain on the family finances.
Here are five ways to get ahead on spending, without spoiling your enjoyment of soccer’s self-styled greatest show on Earth.
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With 48 countries competing across 104 matches, this year’s World Cup is the largest tournament of its kind ever staged. There’s also plenty of home nations interest this year, with England and Scotland both making it to the finals.
The event promises plenty of excitement, but it can also become a costly drain on fans’ finances. Research from VoucherCodes.co.uk suggests that Brits are set to spend a whopping £3.8 billion during the tournament which runs for well over a month.
The good news is there are ways to enjoy the action without blowing your budget, and even opportunities to make some extra cash along the way.
Retailers are already cashing in on World Cup fever with Aldi, for example, preparing to launch an inflatable movie screen, and other supermarkets set to roll out special offers on everything from beer to all-important party snacks. All very enticing, but this can make it easy for you to get carried away and spend more than anticipated over the course of the tournament.
To help fans stay on top of their finances throughout the competition, Lora Rowley, personal finance expert at Starling Bank, suggests creating a simple budget with different categories.
She says: “This should incorporate allowances for things like drinks, transport to bars and pubs, meals out, merchandise or memorabilia, and streaming costs - whichever ones are most relevant to you.”
"Once you add in snacks, drinks, takeaways, and extra food for friends and family, the cost can quickly creep up"
Several banks and savings institutions, such as Monzo and Starling, offer savings pots on their apps or similar options where you can separate your budget to make it easier to track what you’re spending as the tournament progresses. Once the money is gone, avoid the temptation to move over more funds.
Even with a budget in place, costs can build depending on how you choose to watch the matches. You might assume that staying home rather than heading to a bar, pub, or other entertainment venue, will be cheaper. But that isn’t always the case.
Research from Novuna Finance found that fans watching the World Cup at home expect to spend an average of £80 per person on food and drink, compared with £64 among those going to pubs and bars.
According to Theresa Lindsay, Novuna’s chief marketing officer, this is because watching matches at home often turns into hosting. “Once you add in snacks, drinks, takeaways, and extra food for friends and family, the cost can quickly creep up,” she points out.
Rather than treating every fixture as an event, it can be worth deciding in advance which matches justify bigger spends, such as when England or Scotland are playing, or key matches further into the contest. If you’re having extended family over, share food and drink costs, and consider taking turns to host to make home viewing more affordable.
Ticketed fan events, such as those listed on Skiddle and Fanpark, can offer another option if you’re happy to celebrate in busier areas. In some cases, they may work out cheaper than hosting at home.
Clair Hughes, savings expert at VoucherCodes.co.uk, says: “These events often include a drink or two, as well as the chance to see England play on the big screen, meaning they’re often great value for money if you’re a mega-football fan.”
At the Garden Vauxhall, for instance, tickets for England matches cost £16.88 including a drink, or £6 for non-England games. Alternatively, get free entry to watch a match at Boxpark Liverpool, or pay £16.75 to include food and drink.
World Cup merchandise can be one of the easiest areas to overspend, particularly when excitement is high at the start of the tournament, or if you want to treat the grandchildren (or your adult kids!).
Prices are often higher in the run-up and the early stages, when demand is at its peak, which means it can pay to hold off, according to Alex King, financial expert and founder of financial platform Generation Money.
“Consumers who are patient and delay their purchases until later in the tournament or even after the tournament concludes are generally rewarded with lower prices on unsold merchandise,” he explains.
When you do buy, it helps to look for ways to reduce the cost, such as combining different cashback and discount schemes, sometimes known as ‘reward stacking’.
This could include buying an item from a retailer through a cashback website, while also using a discount code at the checkout and paying with a cashback credit card. While the savings might seem small individually, they can soon add up.
Major global sporting events are a prime target for scammers who prey on the excitement and urgency of fans, so be vigilant.
Anthony Minshull, senior fraud strategy manager at Starling Bank, says: “The World Cup is a time where fraudsters and scammers will be looking to use this excitement and demand to their advantage - whether this is to steal money, data, or personal information.”
Common tactics include fake tickets or last minute ‘deals’, bogus giveaways, counterfeit or fake merchandise, and unofficial streaming sites designed to look legitimate.
One of the key warning signs is pressure. If something feels rushed or too good to be true, it’s usually best to step back rather than risk losing money. When buying tickets to an event, or for merchandise, stick to official or verified providers wherever possible.
Vonny Gamot, head of EMEA at online protection experts McAfee, says: “Scammers frequently promote tickets through social posts, direct messages, or unfamiliar websites designed to rush fans into quick decisions.”
When it comes to payments, avoid bank transfers and use more secure options such as credit cards or trusted payment platforms such as PayPal, which may offer greater protection if something goes wrong.
For soccer fans willing to part with treasured belongings from the sport, the World Cup could also present a potential moneymaking opportunity.
If you have old football memorabilia such as treasured shirts, programmes, or even old ticket stubs tucked away, now’s the time to check if any of it has re-sale value. Depending on the item, it could be worth getting a free valuation from an auction house or comparing similar listings from online sites such as Vinted and eBay.
It’s 60 years this year since England lifted the trophy. David Convery, head of sporting memorabilia at auctioneer BUDDS, says items linked to well-known moments in football history tend to attract the highest prices.
“Whether it’s the match that secured promotion for your team, or a goal remembered for all the wrong reasons, if people remember the moment, the item becomes more valuable,” he explains.
As an example, this month BUDDS will be auctioning the shirt that England goalkeeper Peter Shilton was wearing when Maradona scored his infamous ‘Hand of God’ goal for Argentina in the 1986 World Cup. “We estimate it will sell for £200,000 - £300,000,” says Convery.
But memorabilia don’t need to be linked to a famous match to have value. Older shirts and programmes can still appeal to collectors, particularly items from the 1990s or early 2000s.
Convery says: “What may seem like an old dusty memory to you could be a priceless piece of sporting history to a collector. For younger fans, the 1990s and 2000s are now considered ‘vintage’, however difficult that may be for some of us to accept.”
Being able to prove the item is authentic, whether through photos, letters, or receipts, can also help increase its value.
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