When I heard the World Cup was being played in the US, Mexico, and Canada, I was excited because I figured I could watch as many games in person as I liked.
Then the ticket prices came out, and I realized I would not be able to make my dream come true.
Then I learned about hospitality tickets, and I figured this was once in a lifetime type of experience.
Fútbol is my passion
I’m from Argentina and grew up watching our national team play. I’ve watched every single World Cup game, even when it meant waking up in the middle of the night during tournaments hosted in Asia.
I had seen the team play live in friendly games in several countries and had attended both the Copa América semi-finals and finals in New York. My dad and I even debated flying to Qatar for the final of the 2022 World Cup, which Argentina won. We ended up not going, but attending a final still remains a dream of mine.
Now I was crushed when I saw Category 3 tickets (essentially the nosebleed seats) being resold on platforms like StubHub for over $3,500 for Argentina’s round-of-16 match. While I understand the hype, it’s Messi’s last World Cup, it was being played in Miami, which is a huge destination for Argentines, and we were playing against the sweetheart team that stole everyone’s hearts — Cape Verde.
I bought hospitality tickets
I wasn’t ready to give up on my dream, especially since my dad — who is 81 years old — said we could go together if we could find tickets. He has been to four World Cups, but we had never gone to one together.
It felt like a core memory in the making, so I started looking around all the reselling platforms for tickets. Feeling out of luck, I checked FIFA’s official site and saw that a few hospitality tickets were available for purchase at a price lower than Category 3 tickets.
Hospitality tickets include a dedicated entrance, access to an air-conditioned lounge, all the food and drinks, midfield seats, and an exclusive gameday souvenir. Some stadiums also have a dedicated store inside the lounges and parking.
There are different categories of VIP tickets. For example, for the USA against Belgium match, tickets range from $2,000 to over $8,000.
It seemed like a decent-enough deal, or so I told myself.
I hit “purchase” while holding my breath. Two days later, when it was confirmed that Argentina was playing in Miami, the same tickets I had purchased more than doubled in price.
Tickets were still expensive, but worth it
The hospitality lounge gives you access three hours before kick-off. We arrived at the Miami Hard Rock Stadium early, so my dad could enter at his own pace, as he has mobility issues.
As soon as the On Location team, the official Hospitality Provider for FIFA World Cup 2026 that manages VIPs, saw my dad walk in, they quickly assigned someone to help us navigate the massive stadium. We were taken straight into the lounge’s door, where we were given our bracelets and souvenir vouchers.
Inside, there were about 20 food stations, with a variety ranging from pizza and mac and cheese to serrano ham burgers and grilled fish. There were also different dessert stations, including a chocolate fountain.
We had lunch and a couple of drinks to calm our nerves, and about 30 minutes before the game, we moved to our seats, which were excellent.
It was a nail-biting game
The game was unbelievable, and we got our money’s worth in excitement. When Argentina finally won in the last minute, I celebrated with my dad and thousands of other fans. Those few seconds of everyone screaming in unison will be forever ingrained in my brain.
After giving the Cape Verde players a standing ovation, we moved back to the VIP lounge where we had dinner, drank some water to hydrate, shopped for commemorative shirts, and picked up our souvenir — three Miami-themed keychains.
Hospitality tickets give you access to the lounge for two hours after the game, which was key for my dad to catch his breath and lower his blood pressure. By the time we left the stadium, there was no traffic, and we had no issues leaving. The staff was also incredibly friendly and helpful with my dad, yet again.
While buying hospitality tickets was definitely a splurge — and one I can’t afford to do regularly — I have no regrets. I will remember that day forever.
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