World Cup tickets now tell the same story as housing: priced so far beyond ordinary people that even Mexico’s president said she skipped the opening match because the seats were simply too expensive (‘Tickets are very expensive’: Mexican president Sheinbaum explains why she did not attend World Cup opener, 12 June). When a head of state publicly admits she can’t justify the cost, what chance does a normal supporter have?
Yet Fifa still insists the tournament is “for everyone”, even as vast sections of the stadium fill only with those who can absorb eye‑watering prices. Television pundits try to sound sympathetic, but it’s hard to take them seriously when they casually reference the fortunes they earned from the same industry that priced supporters out.
It mirrors the wider divide: those who glide between premium events and premium postcodes, and those told to accept whatever scraps remain. In a world living beyond its means, it’s remarkable that tensions don’t flare more often. A functioning society needs housing and public life that people can actually afford.
Richard Eltringham
Leicester
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