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With the World Cup just over a month away, many Joburgers will be getting all nostalgic about the events of 16 years ago (yes, 16 years have passed since 2010).
I was fortunate to be working in football journalism during the 2010 World Cup, which meant I could cover many matches live from stadiums across the country. Yes, I was definitely living the dream.
However, working for a World Cup is not quite the same as soaking it all up as a fan. So, as a massive football fan myself, when I wasn't working, the goal was to ensure I could attend as many games in my personal capacity as possible - and I was one of the lucky few to attend both the opening match and final at Soccer City.
While my bank balance at the time did not thank me, I believed this would only happen once in my lifetime, so I would do whatever I could to ensure I was present (even if it meant a few rough months would follow).
Those matches as a fan were unforgettable. The vibe was incredible. South Africa really brought it. We can be immensely proud of that fact.
And that's the thing. The fans are the ones who make a World Cup. They are the ones who fill the stadia, create the atmosphere, and ultimately make or break a tournament's success.
So, when I saw the prices of the World Cup tickets for 2026, I was both shocked and saddened. How has this been allowed to happen?
Watch the video below for recent context on the crazy nature of the ticket prices:
Why are the World Cup tickets so expensive?
As is alluded to in the video, yes, this ticket price is very much a joke, with someone clearly trying their luck, and no sane person would ever actually click on the 'buy' button (I hope).
But the problem here is that someone is actually allowed to list a ticket at that price.
The organisers of the World Cup have, for the first time, introduced their own secondary ticket market platform, where 'fans' can list their unwanted tickets for whatever price they like.
This has sparked a huge uproar, with many calling it a "monumental betrayal" of the game's fans, according to ESPN.
There have reportedly been over 500-million applications for tickets to the tournament, so the interest is very much there.
Yes, supply and demand. I get that. Yes, this is North America, which is expensive by default. I get that. Yes, it costs a lot of money to put on a World Cup. I get that too. But where do we draw the line? When is too much, too much?
There will also be the debate that the ticket prices in 2010 were not cheap. I agree, some were out of reach for many who would have loved to attend, but it wasn't anywhere near this level (I paid R140 to see Lionel Messi's Argentina v Nigeria at Ellis Park).
While the final set me back R2,800 (face value, not inflated by the secondary market), there were options to accommodate as many people as possible with the R140 tickets, unlike what is happening across the Atlantic right now.
While I hope the World Cup next month is a huge success, and the spirit of the game is given the chance to paper over the very evident ticketing cracks, I have this very nagging feeling that this is just the start of real fans being completely priced out of the game they love (if they aren't already) - and that is not a good look.
Note: This article is meant to compare what we paid in 2010 with what is happening in America in 2026. There are many examples of high ticket prices across all sports and the entertainment industry, which price people out. It's a sad reality we face in an expensive world, but the levels that are being reached for this World Cup are setting a dangerous precedent.
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