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One of the biggest draws of in-person gambling is the connection offered through visits to casinos or get-togethers at local horse racing tracks. Online gambling can never offer the same thing, but at AskGamblers we’ve discovered there are equally strong communities. While you might expect the most popular thread on our platform to be on gambling tips or bonus codes, we’ve found the biggest is actually all about friendship. Our ‘Let’s have some chit chat :)’ thread has been running for over 12 years, has 7.7 thousand replies and spans 308 pages.Key points from the thread:It’s accumulated 1.1 million views over 12 years. There have been 7.7 thousand replies across 308 pages. It’s more popular than our most replied threads on sports betting and casino bonuses. 1.1 Million ViewsThe thread is so popular that it’s racked up an incredible 1.1 million views and 7.7 thousand replies throughout the 12 years it’s been active. An average thread on our site usually has a few hundred views.In comparison, our most popular sports betting thread, ‘Sports Betting - General Discussions’, features 1.7 thousand replies and our most popular casino bonus thread, ‘Zero Deposit Offers’, has 7.3 thousand replies.Inside it, players discuss their everyday lives, have casual conversations and even organise in-person meetups, forming genuine connections.The original post was all about creating a community with the poster, ValDes, inviting people to ‘talk here with anyone about anything’. Users have certainly accepted that invitation, discussing their lives outside of gambling extensively, with everything from music and films to work covered.Offline ConnectionsOne of the most impressive things about the thread is that these connections have made the leap from the online to the real world. On the very first page, we see users Katemak and Awena planning to meet up in person in Macedonia for coffee and a chat. It’s this kind of connection that makes the thread so unique, with friendships evolving into the real world and completely apart from gambling. In an entry to the National Library of Medicine, online gambling communities are categorised as ‘typically forums for discussing and sharing gambling experiences, strategies and tips’. Here, we see a thriving thread, one of the most viewed on AskGamblers, even including gambling-related topics, which isn’t centred around any of these things.Sport Brings Players Together One of the biggest topics of discussion we see is sport, in particular football. During the 2026 World Cup, a whole 12 years after the forum was started, users discussed their teams and their chances, often entirely unrelated to betting. From talking about the local teams they support to keeping up with national teams, it’s been a topic that has brought users together for over a decade.A Thriving Community for Over a DecadeThe ‘Let’s have some chit chat :)’ thread has been a way for players to come together on AskGamblers for over a decade. They discuss topics outside of gambling, plan get-togethers, and form the sort of connections that many online gamblers feel they miss out on. We’re often sold the idea of online gambling as a solitary experience, with the only connection between the player and the screen, but our AskGamblers forums prove there are strong communities out there. On this special thread, which has reached 1.1 million players, that connection has been thriving for over 12 years and will continue for many more to come.
Long withdrawal times are one of the most common complaints when it comes to online gambling providers. After all, nobody wants to wait weeks, or even months, for their winnings to reach their bank accounts. But how long do verified players actually have to wait to receive their winnings? We turned to the AskGamblers forum of over 500,000 real registered players and players' complaints to find out. Concerningly, we found that long withdrawal delays were the most commonly mentioned complaint, with around 25% of sampled threads referencing lengthy waits.How Long Are Players Really Waiting to Get Paid?Usually, players can expect a processing time of a few days when trying to withdraw their winnings. The exact length depends on what method they’ve chosen, their bank, and the provider’s processing times. However, we found players were often waiting over two weeks, with some cases even dragging on for months. In the three cases we looked at, players were waiting an average of 31.3 days to receive their payment (average taken at the time of writing).Ensuring you’re verified before trying to make a withdrawal is common advice in the gambling world, but we noticed that in many cases it didn’t make a difference. In all of the instances we’ll discuss, players were fully verified and had uploaded all the necessary documents, such as proof of ID and address. It’s not unusual for providers to require additional documents for major withdrawals, but these players had also uploaded the likes of proof of account ownership. *Note: all of these cases are unadjudicated.€40,000 Pending for Over a Month One standout case was that of Dragos 187, who posted on the 2nd of July 2026 that they had been waiting over a month for their €40,000 withdrawal.What the Player Had to Say About the CaseThey have uploaded all the required and additional documents, including proof of bank ownership and address from their employer. The casino has acknowledged they’ve provided all the information required. They’ve had no issues making sizable withdrawals from the same provider in the past.Despite this, their withdrawals have been blocked since the 5th of June, with three being cancelled while their account remains active on the site. If a player had violated the terms and conditions at a provider, we would expect their account to be blocked or deactivated, so this implies it’s not a problem on the player’s end. We noted that many providers will acknowledge that the player has done everything necessary, including uploading all required documents, then fail to provide a reason for the delay.Has the Problem Been Resolved?To try to resolve the issue, the user has contacted customer service multiple times, including the VIP Manager. However, they feel that they’ve been stalled with stock replies from the casino’s customer service. The player said they would update the thread when the issue was resolved, and there have been no uploads since, so it’s possible the case is still ongoing.Over Two Weeks Wait for Sports Betting WinIt’s not only online casinos where players experience delays in withdrawing their winnings; we found a notable case from sports bettor Jorgemanzano in a complaint posted on the 5th of August.What Happened NextThey have uploaded all of the required documents and have a fully verified account. They haven’t been made aware of any violation of the provider’s rules.Although they're fully verified, the user’s $35,000 payment had been pending in their account for 17 days at the time of their post. They also note that any deposit made using the same account is ‘instant’, another common complaint we see with players experiencing withdrawal delays. We noted many were frustrated that their deposits were instant, while the wait for their winnings dragged on. In the case of Ashton below, they were able to continue using their account, making both deposits and withdrawals, while waiting for their delayed payment for over three weeks. Players are understandably frustrated in these cases, as it can feel like their concerns over delays in payments are being ignored, while the provider is happy to continue accepting their money."I won a bet which I tried to withdraw July 21st.I was then contacted asking to verify my account. I have submitted my driving license, passport and bank statement, in the formats requested as asked by 888. The documents should 100% satisfy the verification needs, they have been accepted by other bookmakers with no issue.I am being passed pillar to post, I have been asked to submit, and resubmit the documents dozens of times. Sometimes I have been told I need to submit the documents again as they haven't received them which is categorically untrue. Their chat is generic and of no use whatsoever. I keep getting told this has been escalated and will be resolved soon. This is over two weeks ago. 888 have HAPPILY taken bets before, and after this one bet, and have also paid out both before and after this bet.At this point they are just deliberately withholding my funds and being uncooperative. It is for £185, not a life changing sum of money, but money I could do with."Ashton’s case also highlights that it’s not just the big prizes which experience withdrawal delays. We found winnings of a few thousand delayed by similar lengths as those in the tens of thousands.Was Jorgemanzano’s case resolved?Although the user contacted customer service, there is no resolution posted yet to Jorgemanzano’s delays. We see a similar complaint regarding the provider’s communication as ‘identical’, ‘generic’ ‘templates’. It’s the most common complaint seen from players regarding customer service, with many finding their generic responses unhelpful. 12 Day Crypto Withdrawal Wait Another common piece of advice to speed up withdrawal is to use alternative payment methods like cryptocurrency. However, we found that this doesn’t always help, as user A2706329 discussed in their post about their €10,000 crypto payment being delayed by 12 days.The user had:Submitted three crypto withdrawal requests of €2,200, €2,000 and another of €1,000. Only had to wait a few days to make withdrawals at the same provider previously, including those for a ‘few thousand Euros’. Despite that, their first withdrawal request had already been pending for a week at the time of their post on the 3rd of July, and they had to wait another five days before it was paid. In many of the threads we examined, players mentioned how they’d experienced no trouble at the same provider previously, even when withdrawing substantial amountsWhat Are Players' Main Complaints About Delayed Payments? We found a few repeated and shared complaints from customers about delayed payments, with the most prominent being poor customer service. When a player is frustrated by a late payment, the last thing they want is to receive a stock or irrelevant response to their request for help. We saw that users seem less concerned about reasonable delays in their payments if they’re kept up to date by the customer service team.We also found that the most frustration comes when users have had no issues with the same provider in the past. If a player has an issue on their first time using a provider, they know to avoid them in the future. However, if a level of trust has been established by a provider consistently making timely payments, then a delay can be even more disappointing. Overall, players’ main frustrations don’t seem to just lie in the length of delays, but rather in inconsistencies and unpredictability in customer service and processing times.
By the time the transfer window closes on the 1st of September, hundreds of millions of pounds will have been traded for some of the best footballing talent in the world.We’ve already seen clubs part with considerable cash, with Chelsea paying £117 million for Morgan Rogers, Manchester City parting with £116 million for Elliott Anderson and Spurs spending £100 million on Sandro Tonali.But does splashing out in the transfer window mean better results?We have compared the net spending of all the clubs who will feature in the 2026/27 Premier League season with their average position at the end of the season. Our comparisons show that spending big doesn’t necessarily guarantee success.Club Net Spending Over the Last Four Years*Net spend is calculated by taking away the outgoing expenditure of a club on transfers from the money generated by player sales.The League’s Highest SpendersThe three highest net spenders across the last four seasons are:Chelsea (-£750.29 million net spend): The biggest spender in the Premier League across the last four seasons by just over £90 million is Chelsea. They’ve averaged -£187.57 per transfer window, but have an average finishing position of eighth. Brighton also finished with an average position of eighth with a total net spend of -£332.41, less than half of Chelsea’s. Sunderland finished with an average position of seventh, one place above Chelsea, despite spending around a fifth of their net spend with an outlay of just £157.79.Manchester United (-£660.08 million net spend): The second biggest spenders across the last four seasons are Manchester United with a total net spend of -£660.08 million. Their average finishing position is one above Chelsea’s at seventh, but still lower than others with a smaller outlay. Aston Villa, for example, have a net spend of -£107.02 and an average position of fifth.Arsenal (-£632.84 million net spend): The third highest spenders are Arsenal, the current champions of the Premier League, who have an outlay of £632.84 million across the past four seasons. They finish notably higher than the other big spenders with an average league position of second.The League's Lowest SpendersAt the opposite end of the spectrum, the three lowest spenders who will be in the 2026/27 Premier League are:Hull City (+£15.47 million net spend): Hull is the only club to have a positive net spend across the past four seasons of +£15.47 million. They’ve had an average net spend of just £3.87 million per transfer window, which many teams would overtake with a single signing. The newly promoted club will be competing in the Premier League for the first time in ten years in the 2026/27 season, so it remains to be seen whether they can compete with those with a net expenditure hundreds of millions of pounds above theirs.Everton (-£20.81 million net spend): The second lowest spenders are Everton with a net outlay of just -£20.81 million. They have the smallest spending of any established team in the Premier League with just -£5.2 million net per season. Although they’ve been thrifty, their results have suffered with an average position of 15th across the last four seasons, just above the relegation zone.Coventry City (-£21.11 million net spend): It’s little surprise that the newly relegated teams dominate the lowest spenders over the last four seasons given the lower budget of teams in the Championship. Coventry City are the third lowest spenders in the Premier League with a net outlay of just -£21.11 million. The winners of the 2025/26 Championship will be hoping they can hold their own against the big spenders of the Premier League.Money Can Buy ConsistencyWhile we’ve proved that money doesn’t always mean top results, it does often result in consistency. The three top-performing teams in the Premier League across the last four seasons, Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool, are some of the biggest spenders.Arsenal have a net spend of -£632.84 and an average position of second.Liverpool have a net spend of -£430.73 and an average position of fourth.Manchester City have a net spend of -£409.65 and an average position of second.Two of these top-performing sides don’t appear in the top three spenders, but all three have a considerable net spend. While money doesn’t necessarily mean walking away with the trophy, the depth these high-spending transfers give squads allows them to stay consistent across the seasons.Spurs OverspendAlthough in some cases, like that of Arsenal and Manchester City, high spending has translated to impressive results in the Premier League, that’s not always true. Manchester United and Chelsea’s high spending hasn’t resulted in top finishes, but the biggest discrepancy between spend and results is Tottenham Hotspur.Spurs are the biggest outliers with a total net spend of -£609.3 million across the past four transfer windows, an average of -£152.33 million. Despite splashing the cash, Spurs have finished in an average position of 12th across those seasons.In the last few seasons, they’ve gone after major signings like Xavi Simons for £55.8 million and Dominic Solanke for £55.2 million. However, that hasn’t translated into results for Spurs, who have been plagued by injuries. Solanke was injured for much of the 25/26 season with an ankle problem that needed surgery, and Simons is currently sidelined with an ACL tear.Despite that, Spurs have spent big in the 2026 summer transfer window, parting with £322 million so far. That includes £85 million for Savio, £100 million for Tonali and £85 million for Fernandes; they’ll be hoping these major signings can keep them out of the relegation battle this season. High Spenders RelegatedAnother example that splashing out in the transfer window doesn’t always bring results is West Ham. They had a net spend of -£306.34 million across the four most recent transfer windows for an average of -£76.59 million. That’s almost three times more than Aston Villa, who spent -£107.02 million for an average position of fifth, and almost double that of Sunderland, who had a net spend of -£157.79 million for an average position of seventh.Despite being one of the Premier League’s big spenders, West Ham finished in 18th in the 2025/26 season and have been relegated to the Championship.Do Teams Need to Spend Big to Win?While spending big can help teams stay consistent and competitive across seasons, it doesn’t always result in top results. For West Ham, Spurs and Chelsea, high net spend hasn’t translated into the league positions they’d expect.In other cases, like that of Aston Villa or Sunderland, they’ve outperformed what would have been expected from their transfer budget. For promoted sides like Coventry and Hull, they’ll be hoping that they don’t have to break the bank to compete in football’s most competitive league, but we’ll only have our answer to that when the league gets underway on the 21st of August.
On 11 June, the eyes of football fans around the globe will turn towards Mexico City, where Mexico will host South Africa in the first game of the World Cup. The tournament is split across Mexico, Canada, and the USA, and is set to be the biggest ever, with 48 teams as opposed to the usual 32. The logistics of hosting sports’ biggest events can take decades to plan, and more teams than ever also means more fans. One thing that the hosts will have to consider is whether the stadiums are accessible enough to ensure that all fans are able to enjoy the tournament. But are the 2026 host stadiums up to scratch? At AskGamblers, we investigated the accessibility credentials of all 16 host stadiums to find out.How Did We Determine Accessibility?There’s plenty that goes into determining accessibility, but in order to turn our findings into scores, we examined six key factors. These were:Entrances: The percentage of entrances at stadiums that were accessible.Drop-off areas: The number of drop-off areas at each stadium.Accessible toilets: The number of accessible toilets throughout the stadium.Accessibility tools: Tools such as closed captions, assistive listening, braille signage, and any sensory kits or rooms available.Stadium wheelchairs: Whether there’s storage for wheelchairs, the number of on-site wheelchairs available, and whether wheelchair escorts are available.Additional accessibility facilities: Whether the stadiums had any additional accessibility features, such as hearing loops, accessible changing tables, or shuttle services.Here’s how each of the cities and their stadiums rank for accessibility based on our research.Once we gathered all of that information, we created brackets to allow us to give each of the cities and their stadiums a score. For example, if between 90% and 100% of the stadium’s entrances were accessible, they received a score of ten. If between 80% and 90% were accessible, they scored nine, and so on until we reached one point. The stadiums would also each get an additional point added to their score for each additional accessibility facility they had available.We used these brackets to award scores for each of the host cities across the six factors. After that, it was a simple case of adding them together and dividing by the total number of factors (six) to produce an average score.All Three Mexican Stadiums Rank Last for AccessibilityAll three of the Mexican host cities finish last in our accessibility ranking, with Guadalajara 13th on 2.92, Mexico City 14th on 2.5, and Monterrey 15th on 1.67. Monterrey scored one on all factors aside from accessible entrances, where it scored four, and accessible toilets, where it scored two. However, even those high points are pretty low when compared to the other host cities. Only 40% of the Estadio BBVA’s entrances are accessible, the joint third lowest, and there are only 32 disabled toilets, the fourth lowest.On top of that, Estadio BBVA lacked just about every feature that fans would require from an accessible stadium. Here are some of the accessibility features that aren’t available: Drop-off areaWheelchair escortClosed captioning Assisted listeningSensory needs toolsBraille signage Wheelchair storageWheelchairs for guestsLA Ranks Top for Accessibility Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium topped our ranking with a score of 7.08 for accessibility. Although not the dizzying heights we might have expected to claim first place, LA performed strongly for accessible entrances (scoring 10), accessible toilets (scoring 9) and accessibility tools (scoring 9.5).While only 40% of Monterey’s Estadio BBVA’s entrances are accessible, 100% of SoFi Stadium’s are, and there are 170 accessible toilets compared to BBVA’s 32. The LA host stadium also features closed captioning, assisted listening, braille signage, wheelchair storage, and two sensory needs rooms.Additional accessibility features at SoFi Stadium include a dedicated phone line on event days for fans to call if they need assistance and three lifts specifically designed for wheelchair usage. The SoFi Stadium is well equipped to ensure that fans with accessibility needs who want to attend the 2026 World Cup have a comfortable and inclusive experience.Dallas Close Behind in SecondDallas’ AT&T Stadium was not far behind LA with a score of 6.96 for accessibility. It scored highly when it came to accessibility tools, with a 9.75, and scored two tens for drop-off areas and accessible toilets. There are 189 accessible toilets throughout the AT&T Stadium, which is second overall, behind only New York’s MetLife Stadium with 210.Dallas’ stadium further ensures inclusivity with two drop-off areas, 16 accessible lifts and three rooms for those with sensory needs. It also features braille signage, assisted listening, closed captions and a shuttle service from the parking lot to the pitch for those with mobility issues.Only Nine Cities Score Above Five for AccessibilityAlthough some of the stadiums, such as LA’s SoFi Stadium and Dallas’ AT&T Stadium, are well-prepared to host disabled fans, the majority aren’t.It’s worth remembering that FIFA have made accessibility one of their primary goals for the 2026 World Cup. In their statement on stadium design, they said they ‘must be inclusive and accessible for all, including disabled people and people with limited mobility’. When discussing how best to ensure accessibility, they said that host cities should ‘include consideration of the entire spectator journey and include all aspects of the match experience’. Those considerations extend to transport, retail areas, toilets, seating areas and concessions. However, from our research, it’s evident that a number of the 2026 host cities fall well short of this goal. Only nine out of sixteen scored above five for accessibility, and even the best performer, LA, scored just 7.08.All the Mexican host cities dropped below a score of three for accessibility, with none of the stadiums offering closed captioning, assisted listening, braille signage or wheelchairs for guests. In light of poor accessibility scores across the board, it’s worth asking whether FIFA has really prioritised accessibility at the 2026 tournament.Was Qatar 2022 More Accessible? The 2022 World Cup in Qatar is widely considered to be one of the most accessible versions of the tournament to date. It incorporated accessibility initiatives, such as Bonocle, an electronic device used to transform digital content into braille in real-time, which was used to give visually impaired fans access to football stats and articles. Qatar was also the first World Cup to provide sensory rooms for those with autism. They were available for 27 matches with three additional mobile sensory rooms on offer as well. Improving accessibility included training over 15,250 volunteers and 12,900 security personnel in how to provide assistance to disabled people.Some of the highlights in terms of accessibility at Qatar 2022 included: 22,592 accessible tickets were sold (equivalent to 96% of the accessible tickets available).3 to 6 mobility assistance stations per stadium. 436 assistants dedicated to providing mobility assistance. Minimum of 22 wheelchairs and 10 golf carts to help those with limited mobility. Audio descriptive commentary available for all games and opening/closing games through a dedicated app. Commentators were specially trained in how to describe games for the visually impaired. Live sign language interpretation of musical performances. Sensory activities such as a freestanding musical wall and a tactile wall.4.5 scored for satisfaction with World Cup infrastructure’s accessibility. Is Accessibility Being Taken Seriously Enough at the 2026 World Cup? There’s no denying that the 2026 World Cup falls some way short of the high accessibility standard set by the 2022 Qatar World Cup. The previous tournament scored 4.5 out of 5 with fans in terms of accessibility. When we compare that to this year’s competition, where the highest scoring city of LA only bagged a score of 7.08 in our research, it’s clear that the same effort and attention isn’t being paid to accessibility. With the 2026 World Cup less than a month away, there are concerns that the host stadiums won’t be as accessible as promised by FIFA. In many stadiums at the 2026 World Cup, there’s a notable lack of accessible entrances, toilets and tools, such as closed captioning and braille signage.While all of this could leave disabled fans struggling to navigate the tournament, there’s hope that FIFA will be able to match their actions to their words to boost accessibility tools ahead of the first whistle.
The 2026 World Cup kicks off on the 11th of June and is set to be the biggest iteration of the tournament to date. More teams than ever have qualified, with 48 nations set to compete, as opposed to the 32 we’ve seen in the most recent tournaments. That means more matches packed into the tight 39-day schedule and more fans flocking to stadiums. But with spiralling ticket prices, can your average football fan actually afford to attend the 2026 World Cup? At AskGamblers, we’ve done the maths and found that some fans would have to work for years to be able to afford to attend a single game. Fans Priced Out of the World Cup Fans looking to travel to the 2026 World Cup have been hit by high ticket, transport and accommodation costs. For some, attending the matches is completely out of the question. A Haitian fan on the country’s minimum wage would have to pay over 24 years' worth of salary to attend their opening match against Scotland. Methodology: How Did We Calculate Affordability?For each nation attending the World Cup, we found the price of a round-trip flight to the host city and the cost of the average ticket to their opening match. To account for the full experience, we also included the price of a hotel for a night, public transport to and from the stadium and a hot dog and a drink at the game. Once we had all that data, we totalled them up for the overall cost of attending the opening match for each nation.We found the minimum and average wage of each country and multiplied it to produce a value for an average day’s work. Using the total we’d calculated earlier, we divided it by the wage of a day’s work (on both minimum and average wages). That allowed us to compare and rank the affordability of the World Cup for each country.It’s worth noting we didn’t account for additional expenses like food and drink outside the stadium or even visas for those who need them.If you wish to check the numbers for a specific country that qualified for the World Cup, you can do it here:Years of Work to Attend One MatchFor some fans, it would take years of work on minimum wage to earn enough money to travel to, attend the opening match and stay in the host city.Here are the three countries which would require the most days of work on minimum wage:Haiti: 9040.2 days, 24.6 yearsPanama: 3238.4 days, 8.9 yearsIran: 2266.2 days, 6.2 yearsAlthough it looks a little better when considering the average wage of each country, it would still take some fans years to afford to attend a match.Here are the three countries which would require the most days of work on their average wage:Iran: 1703.8 days, 4.7 yearsUzbekistan: 430.8 days, 1.2 yearsEgypt: 232.7 days, 0.6 yearsIt’s also worth noting that our calculations were based on the assumption that 100% of the fans’ wages went towards the World Cup. When we account for things like rent, food and bills, the reality is that it would take some fans until the 2034 World Cup to earn enough to attend this one.What Makes the 2026 World Cup So Expensive?There are a lot of reasons that the 2026 World Cup is set to be one of the most expensive on record. Firstly, FIFA’s decision to have the tournament spanning a whole continent with games in Mexico, Canada and the USA means considerable travel costs for fans.A Sprawling World CupEarlier, we only looked at how much it would cost to attend a single match. But when fans factor in the costs of flights and hotels for multiple group games, that's when costs start to spiral.Here’s how many days of work on average wage it would take an Iranian fan to be able to afford to attend all three group matches.Match One: 1703.8 daysMatch Two: 1703.8 daysMatch Three: 1875 daysTotal days of average wage work needed = 5,282.6 days or 14.5 yearsIn that shocking total of 14.5 years, we haven’t even accounted for the cost of hotel stays and food in between matches or the cost of travel between cities. When we consider all of that, it is clear that the average fan has been priced out of this World Cup.While Iran is the most extreme example, even for fans of the favourites to win the tournament, Spain, it would take over a month’s worth of average earnings.Match One: 10.6 daysMatch Two: 11.8 daysMatch Three: 14.1 daysTotal days of average wage work needed = 36.5 days or a tenth of a year2026 World Cup AffordabilityHere’s how many days of work on an average wage it would take someone from each nation to be able to afford one World Cup game.Public Transport Price HikesOne thing that won’t help to ease the strain on fans’ wallets is the hike in transport prices in host cities. In some US cities, fans could find themselves having to pay over $100 each way to and from games.Authorities in New Jersey are proposing to hike train ticket prices between New York’s Penn Station and the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford by almost $90. The standard fare for the route is $12.90, but soccer fans will be paying over $100.The Governor of New Jersey has called on FIFA to subsidise the tickets in order to prevent fans or commuters from having to pay a fortune for them in the future.The majority of the stadiums being used are based around a 30-minute drive from the city centres, so the alternative to public transport is no better for fans. Stadiums like Kansas City, Miami and Dallas have no public transport stops within a ten-minute walk of the stadium. That leaves many fans with no option but to pay for expensive hire cars or cabs.High Match Ticket PricesEven the actual tickets at the 2026 World Cup have raised eyebrows when it comes to price. In the first open sale, it was reported that FIFA was charging up to $10,990 for a single ticket to the final. Tickets for equivalent seats at the Qatar final cost $1,604, and the 2026 hosts said they would be capped at $1,550 in their bid for the tournament.Instead, the 2026 World Cup final has quickly become the most expensive general admission to a football match ever.The prices on resale sites are even more eye-watering, with a single ticket to the final setting fans back as much as $82,000.In an attempt to make the tournament more affordable, FIFA introduced a very limited number of $60 tickets. However, when eager European fans went to buy them, they found the lowest they could pay was actually $4,185, seven times the price of the cheapest ticket at Qatar.Ticket prices have been so contentious that the European Commission has even received a formal complaint. It accuses FIFA of running a monopoly in terms of ticket sales, allowing it to hike ticket prices.Has FIFA Lost Touch with Fans?It’s hard to oppose the concern that FIFA has lost touch with the average fan when attending a single game could cost fans years of work on the average wage. Even for those supporting Spain, the favourites to lift the trophy, attending the group stage matches would cost over a month’s work on the average wage.That’s before we take into consideration the price of travel between the host cities, almost all of which are at least a flight away from each other.Addressing the spiralling cost of tickets and public transport should be a priority for FIFA ahead of the 2030 World Cup, which is set to be hosted across Spain, Portugal and Morocco.SourcesWe have consulted multiple sources for hotel costs, public transportation, match ticket prices, flights, and minimum and average salary information for all participating countries, including but not limited to:FIFAKayakTransLinkSFMTALA MetroTTCRideKCDARTSin FronterasMBTASEPTASky SportsBBCWorld SalariesSalary ExpertWageIndicatorGoogle Flights
When formations are revealed in the Premier League, each player is paired with a flag to represent their nationality. If, like us, you’ve ever studied those and wondered which country appears the most, we’ve got the answers. We analysed two lists of the top 100 current players to find out which country produces the most talent and how that could impact their chances at the World Cup. You might not be surprised to learn that the favourites to take home the trophy, and current Euros holders, Spain came out top with 19 players. The second favourites in England and France trailed a little way behind, joint on 13 players. So, were there any surprises, and what does all this mean for the 2026 World Cup?The Countries Producing the Most Footballing TalentWe wanted to be as thorough as possible when doing our research, so we used two lists of the world’s current top 100 players and found their nationalities. We didn’t count any overlaps between the two lists, but added the rest of our tallies together.Take a look at our results:La Roja Produces Gold We could very likely be seeing a return to the Golden Years for the Spanish team, who top our list with 19 of the world’s best players. Players like Lamal, Rodri and Pedri dominated the top 25 of both lists. Spain possesses quality all over the pitch with goalkeeper David Raya, attacking midfielder Dani Olmo and left-back Alejandro Balde also making the cut. Yamal: Star PowerLamine Yamal is certainly one of Spain’s biggest stars. The young winger, who has already won La Liga twice with Barcelona, was even first on one of the lists we looked at. As the youngest Ballon d’Or nominee (at 17) and two-time recipient of the Kopa Trophy, Yamal is a deserving candidate as the best player right now. Rodri: Solid in DefenceSpain has balanced Yamal’s explosive young talent with a solid midfield from the likes of Rodri, widely regarded as one of the best players in the world. Although still being carefully managed in his return from his ACL injury, the Ballon d’Or and Player of the Year Champion helps to keep Spain dominant in possession. In the 2023-24 season, Rodri averaged a passing accuracy of 92% and won 201 duels. Pedri: Endlessly Creative Spain is rarely going to struggle for creativity thanks to playmakers like Pedri. Known for his vision and awareness, Pedri can spot the perfect pass to get Yamal in on goal. He’s been in every La Liga Team of the Season since 2021 and made the 2025 FIFPRO Men’s World 11. A World Cup Winning Team?Spain’s current pool of talent could very well be the one which takes them to World Cup victory in 2026. They’re certainly favourites to get their hands on the trophy having won a record fourth European Championship in 2024 and the 2024-25 Nations League. It will definitely take something special to overcome La Roja, who have been unbeaten in open-play since March 2023, a winning run of 31 matches. France FollowsThere’s a gap of six players between Spain and joint second place France and England. Both have produced 13 of the world’s best current players and sit ahead of the likes of Brazil, Argentina and Portugal. A Third Consecutive Final for France? Les Bleus will be aiming to make it through to a third World Cup Final in a row in 2026. Having won the 2018 tournament, they were defeated in 2022 by Argentina, although only on penalties after drawing the game 3-3. France will be hoping to get their hands on the trophy again and the likes of Mbappé, Dembélé and Saliba, could help them do just that. Just like their top competition Spain, they’re strong all over the pitch with keeper Maignan, defender Koundé, midfielder Michael Olise and forward Bradley Barcola all making the list. Mbappé: France’s CaptainThe French captain’s list of achievements is already lengthy at 27 years of age. His transfer from Monaco to PSG was worth €180 million, making him the second most expensive player of all time and the most expensive teenage player ever. Mbappé went on to become PSG’s top goalscorer and holds the record for the most goals scored by a Real Madrid player in their debut season. He’s just as lethal in World Cups and is only one of two players to score a hat-trick in the Final or to score in two consecutive Finals. A Strong Squad for England The 2026 World Cup marks exactly 60 years since England last lifted the trophy and it will be one of their best chances to make it happen a second time. Their squad is packed full of talent, including Kane, Bellingham and Palmer, who were all floating around the top ten of both lists we looked at. While there were holes in defence in England’s last appearance, the improved Declan Rice and Reece James should help to secure those up. Creativity won’t be an issue either with Foden, Saka and Eze all able to create opportunities, and clinical finishers Kane and Bellingham able to slot them home. Kane: England’s Goalscoring MachineWith 78 goals in 112 games, Kane is England’s leading goal scorer. His precise finishing has earned him the Golden Boot three times (2015-16, 2016-17 and 2020-21), the Bundesliga top goalscorer twice (2023-24 and 2024-25) and the FIFA Golden Boot in the 2018 World Cup.Kane’s work rate and willingness to track back have made him one of England’s most reliable players and have seen him become captain. South American Absence The biggest surprise from our research into the countries that have produced the most pro footballers is the absence of South America. Only Brazil makes the top five, with Argentina landing in sixth place and Colombia and Ecuador in joint eighth. From a region which is renowned for producing top talent, it was a pretty lacklustre showing. Has Europe Surpassed South America? The World Cup has only ever been won by teams from Europe or South America. While South America has won it ten times, Europe has won it twelve times, in a closely fought battle. But has Europe pulled away in recent years? Four of the last five World Cups have been won by a team from Europe, with only the most recent travelling to South America, Argentina specifically. We’ve entered a period of European dominance, reflected in the higher number of players from the continent found in the top 100. Who Are the Main Contenders for the World Cup?It’s no coincidence that the top three teams in our list of countries that have produced the most pro footballers are also the favourites to win the 2026 World Cup. All have stacked squads and strength in every position, which could make the 2026 World Cup one of the most closely contested in years. According to our research, Spain has produced the most current pro footballers, and that depth of squad could prove vital in the 2026 World Cup. We all know it’s not as straightforward as the best team always winning, and with England and France hot on their heels, La Roja will face tough competition in their search for their second World Cup.
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