England's wait for the FIFA World Cup 2026 is finally over. Six days after the tournament kicked off, the Three Lions are set to face Croatia at Dallas Stadium on Wednesday — and tens of thousands of supporters have made the long journey to Texas to cheer them on.

The United Kingdom Football Policing Unit (UKFPU) estimates that between 12,000 and 15,000 England fans will be present at each group stage fixture. The official England Supporters' Travel Club (ESTC) sold its full allocation of 4,022 tickets, though the true number in attendance will also depend on independent travellers and English expatriates living in the United States.

In total, fans from England have purchased 89,000 World Cup tickets across all 104 matches — though most supporters will attend more than one game, and the figure does not include those who have travelled without securing a ticket.

Eye-watering ticket prices

The cost of attending this World Cup has sparked controversy from the moment tickets went on sale. England fans with ESTC membership were confronted with prices of £198, £373, or £523 for Wednesday's opener against Croatia — a sharp contrast to Qatar 2022, where group stage tickets were priced at £68.50, £164.50, and £219.

For those unable to secure tickets through official channels, FIFA's own resale platform is the main alternative — though it adds a 15 percent surcharge on every purchase. With England among the most sought-after teams at the tournament, resale prices have climbed steeply rather than fallen.

The cheapest available category one resale ticket has held firm at around £1,310. Category two tickets, which were available for £874 in April, now fetch £1,254. Category three has jumped from £682 two months ago to £1,311 today.

Even more striking are a small number of tickets originally sold to ESTC members that have reappeared on FIFA's resale platform. One listed in the 'supporter standard' category carries an asking price of £3,192 — rising to £3,671 once FIFA's fee is added, nearly 10 times the £380 originally paid. A 'supporter premier' ticket is listed at £1,898, or £2,183 with fees — four times its face value of £523.

To reduce the risk of the cheapest £45 'supporter entry' tickets being flipped, the Football Association delayed releasing them to digital wallets until Monday evening. As of Tuesday, none had appeared for resale.

'It does feel like you are getting gouged'

Despite the expense, supporters have been gathering in Dallas ahead of the match. For many, the chance to attend a World Cup on American soil represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity — even if the financial toll is significant.