With record-high ticket, travel, and accommodation prices, the cost of the World Cup has burned a hole in the pockets of local and international fans attending games this summer — and that’s even before they reach the stadium.

Concession prices have gone viral on social media, with some international fans indignant about the cost, while many U.S.-based fans, well accustomed to inflated stadium prices, wonder what all the fuss is about.

But there’s one man, Arthur Blank — whose holding company AMB Sports and Entertainment owns Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and who also owns its tenants the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta FC — who prides himself on doing things a bit differently.

Food and beverage prices at the venue — which will host England vs. Argentina on Wednesday — have had a markedly lower impact on supporters’ bank balances this summer, owing to a “fan-first” scheme driven by Blank.

Here, The Athletic explains why and how Mercedes-Benz Stadium is unique in concession pricing.

The Mercedes-Benz Stadium fan-friendly menu just got even better.

For the first time ever, we’re serving all of our iconic fan-friendly favorites together at Molly B’s during the World Cup Semifinal. All for $20!

Everything you love. All in one place. pic.twitter.com/epe9968job

— Mercedes-Benz Stadium (@MBStadium) July 14, 2026

What are the typical food and drink prices at the World Cup?

There has been no uniform set menu at concession stands for the World Cup, and venues are free to price food and drink as they please.

At MetLife Stadium, which is the venue for the World Cup final on Sunday, prices are at the top end of what you would expect to pay at a Premier League match.

Prices at one concession stand at MetLife for the World Cup: pic.twitter.com/pzO1a3wQ60

— Brian Fonseca (@briannnnf) June 13, 2026

According to this image posted on X by New Jersey Advance Media journalist Brian Fonseca, a combo meal (including four chicken tenders, fries, and a Coca-Cola) costs $19 (without the six per cent New Jersey added sales tax), around £14 at the time of writing. The four-piece tender meal without a drink is $15 (£11), a portion of fries is $8 (£6), while a hot dog is $8.50 (£6.30).

Prices are higher at SoFi Stadium, which hosted a quarter-final, though the menu items differ.

A look at the concession prices at SoFi Stadium for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. pic.twitter.com/XNhlz6LXE1

— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) June 13, 2026

According to a picture posted by Los Angeles-based journalist Arash Markazi, the most expensive item at a concession stand is the beef-loaded nachos ($19.75; £14.70, without Los Angeles’ combined 9.75 per cent sales tax), while the cheapest “meal” is a bean and cheese burrito ($16.50; £12.30).

According to FootyScran, a page on X which posts stadium food from around the world, a three-piece chicken tender meal at Wembley Stadium, England’s home ground, is £12.50 ($16.80). The same meal at Aston Villa’s Villa Park costs £10 ($13.50).

The most visible discrepancy is in beverage prices. The concession stand at MetLife Stadium, pictured, lists four alcoholic beverages, ranging from $16 for a 16-oz (454ml) canned American beer to $19 for a hard seltzer (16oz) or a canned cocktail (12oz; 354ml). The “premium American beer” at SoFi Stadium is $18.50 (£13.80), before tax.

Water at MetLife Stadium is $5 (£3.70), at SoFi it is $5.25 (£3.90), and at AT&T Stadium, which will host one semi-final, it’s a quite ridiculous $8.25 (£6.20).

Depending on the event, fans visiting Wembley Stadium can expect to pay between £6 ($8) and £8.50 ($11.40) for a pint of beer (16oz; 568ml), with significantly lower prices available at other stadiums around the league.

Emirates Stadium, the home of Premier League champions Arsenal, runs a fan-first pricing scheme on matchdays, with discounted drinks up to an hour before kick-off: pints of Asahi and Guinness drop to £4.40 ($5.90), and a hot dog and a pint combo is around £10.50 ($14.10), according to the club website.

What about Canada and Mexico?

ESPN reporter Luiz Carlos Largo posted an image of concession prices at BBVA Stadium, Monterrey for the World Cup, where the cost of beer is as high as anywhere else, except Atlanta.

Preços revelados no Estádio BBVA no México para a Copa do Mundo! 🇲🇽

Os valores de comidas e bebidas que serão vendidos:

🍺 Michelob Ultra – 310 MXN (US$ 17,75)
🍺 Corona – 299 MXN (US$ 17,12)
🍺 Flying Fish – 300 MXN (US$ 17,18)
🍺 Michelob Zero – 300 MXN (US$ 17,18)
💧 Água… pic.twitter.com/jjovqQkyCU

— Luiz Carlos Largo (@LARGOESPN) June 9, 2026

A can of Michelob Ultra lager costs 310 Mexican pesos (MXN), which is roughly $18 or £13.50. Corona is marginally cheaper at 299 MXN ($17.50; £13), though at 710ml (24 oz), fans get more bang for their buck.

Water costs 80 MXN ($4.60; £3.50), while a portion of fries is dearer than almost anywhere else in our sample at 200 MXN ($11.60; £8.66).

And fans travelling to Toronto for the World Cup action got slightly more wallet-friendly beverage prices than in most of the United States.

#NEW: Toronto’s World Cup concession prices revealed at BMO field. pic.twitter.com/1G9IRqdrHx

— RTN (@RTNToronto) June 12, 2026

While a bottle of water at BMO Field (9 CAD; $6; £4.80) is at the more expensive end of the spectrum, the cheapest beer (16oz; 473ml) costs 16.75 CAD ($12; £9), a more affordable, though far from inexpensive, offering, particularly at a 13 per cent Ontario sales tax rate.

So, what’s different about the Mercedes-Benz Stadium?

While Emirates Stadium offers cost-friendly concession deals up to an hour before kick-off, Mercedes-Benz Stadium always operates “fan-first” pricing, regardless of which team, sport, or event is playing within its high-tech walls.

First look at the menu boards for the #WorldCup inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium.#WeAreAtlanta pic.twitter.com/1Rxai8L2tW

— Mercedes-Benz Stadium (@MBStadium) June 14, 2026

A chicken tenders and fries combo meal costing just $6 (£4.50), almost a third of the price at MetLife. Other standout bargains include a pizza slice of any listed variety for $3 (£2.25), a cheeseburger for $5 (£3.70), and a grilled chicken sandwich for just $6 (£4.50). These prices do not include Atlanta’s combined 9 per cent sales tax, so while the items will be slightly dearer than listed, they represent bargain prices by American standards.

Beverage prices are not bad, either. A 20oz (591ml) bottle of water is a far more sensibly priced $3, while the cheapest 20oz draft beer comes in at a respectable $9 (£6.70).

Why does Blank like to keep concession costs low for fans?

In an interview with The Athletic in June, Blank explained the vision behind his “fan-first” pricing scheme.

“People feel welcome here,” Blank told The Athletic, reflecting on a concession pricing conversation he had with FIFA. “There’s never been price gouging here. We want people to feel like this is their home, safe and secure, embraced, loved and respected. Those things are not negotiable.”

Why Atlanta’s stadium won’t raise concession prices for the World Cup

Adam Crafton and Rachael Tinde

Blank took the same approach when Atlanta hosted the 2019 Super Bowl. Then, beers were priced at $9, cheeseburgers at $5 and hot dogs at $2.

“It’s the same for the World Cup as it is for the Super Bowl,” Blank said. “It never got past the first discussion with FIFA because we said it is a given, this is who we are. We have to make fans feel treasured and appreciated.”