Hours before Brasil x Marrocos, fans at MetLife Stadium were already lining up at the shops and concession stands, and many found that the most basic items came with eye-watering prices. In the heat of the afternoon in Nova Jersey, with temperatures reaching 31C, a quick drink or snack could turn into a costly stop.
The numbers were hard to miss. Three cups of water and two beers would cost 47 dollars, while one water and a hot dog came to about R$ 91. A beer at U$ 16 and a chicken sandwich at U$ 18 would total about R$ 172, before anyone added a shirt, cap or souvenir. For a supporter trying to stay hydrated in the middle of a hot day, the bill started with water at U$ 5 and beer at U$ 16, both priced well above what many would expect for simple convenience.
That was the reality around the MetLife Stadium on 13 June, when Brasil x Marrocos was played in Grupo C of the Copa do Mundo. The crowd was not just paying for food and drinks. It was paying for access to them inside the stadium, where the prices rose sharply once fans were through the gates and into the lines.
The cost went beyond meals. A hot dog was listed at U$ 13, a T-shirt at U$ 50, a cap at U$ 45, a five-pack sticker set at U$ 13, a mini-ball at U$ 20, a plastic bag at U$ 60 and a Brazil fan jersey with a World Cup patch at U$ 130. In other words, the stadium was not simply selling refreshments for the match. It was selling nearly everything a fan might want to wear, carry or collect, and doing so at prices that pushed a simple outing into a much more expensive one.
What remains unclear is whether those prices were fixed for every game or whether Brasil x Marrocos brought its own premium. But on this day, in this heat, the answer for supporters was immediate enough: if they wanted to eat, drink or buy anything inside MetLife Stadium, they had to pay up first.
