EAST RUTHERFORD — Much has been made of the exorbitant prices for several different aspects of the 2026 World Cup in North Jersey, from match tickets to the severe hike in transportation.

But at New York New Jersey Stadium's first match between Brazil and Morocco June 13, the costs were, in many cases, largely reasonable.

A chicken finger combo with fries with a soda was $19, while a "New York" cheesesteak was $15. Pizzas were either $12 for a pepperoni slice or $11 for cheese, while a stadium hot dog cost $8.50.

The most expensive single item, understandably, was a filet mignon sandwich at $25. Fans looking to cool off from the heat could spend $7 to $8.50 on ice cream depending on the size, while alcohol ranged from $16 for domestic beer to $19 for hard seltzer and canned cocktails.

Merchandise stands throughout the stadium offered $130 official jerseys for Brazil, Morocco and the United States. Hats with the official 2026 World Cup logo and the "New York New Jersey" lettering were $45 each, while the miniature World Cup ball was $25.

In Atlanta, the low prices for NFL and other events − $2 for a soda, the same for a hot dog or pretzels − will be maintained for the World Cup thanks to Arthur Blank, the owner of the Falcons and the stadium they call home.

MetLife Stadium normally serves Pepsi products. But because Coca-Cola is the official FIFA beverage sponsor, that's what is being poured at all the concession stands for the World Cup

The food prices, to be sure, are higher than what most bars and restaurants offer on a typical day. But for fans walking the concourse prior to the game, they were happy not to break the bank while attending the most popular sports tournament in the world.

Mike Angelo, of Connecticut, bought a T-shirt for $44, "so pretty much normal concert T-shirt prices," he said. He also noted that the shirt was relatively thick and a good quality overall, so he felt the price was more than fair.

Angelo's 12-year-old son Steven showed off the miniature ball, which his father said was only a little on the expensive side.

"Pretty standard, maybe five bucks more than Dick's (Sporting Goods) prices," Angelo said.

Carlos Jimenez, a Costa Rica fan from New Orleans, was at the game with his sister, a New York City resident who won tickets in the lottery offered by Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The two said the majority of items were priced appropriately, while some, like a small pin for $15, were a little steep.

But Jimenez understood the occasional high prices, owing it to the spectacle of the tournament held only once every four years.

"It's the World Cup," he said. "These things, they're not going to sell again, so sometimes you've got to spend a little bit more."

Angelo, who also got his pair of tickets through a lottery, said the overall high ticket prices are a good sign for the state of soccer in the U.S. He recalled the last time the World Cup was in the country, in 1994, when getting Americans interested was a real struggle.

"I had like 34 tickets or 35 tickets that I couldn't give away standing next to Foxborough (Stadium in Massachusetts), so that's the difference in soccer's popularity," Angelo said. "Ticket prices were really expensive, I think, but not for an extremely meaningful football tournament."

Jane Havsy contributed to this report.

Source: NorthJersey.com