Two months before the FIFA World Cup arrives in Massachusetts, local fans are growing concerned about the rising cost of attending as well as uncertainties over transportation and how the area will accommodate the large influx of visitors expected to hit the state this summer.
Visitors from all over the world are expected to pour into the state for the World Cup, which includes seven games at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough between June 13 and July 9.
Boston resident John O'Hara, who is attending one match, said he's concerned about the cost of simply getting to the stadium.
"I know they've upgraded the station at the stadium, but they're saying it's going to be $70 for a round trip to get the train there and back," O'Hara said. "We'll be getting the train, but me and my friend are talking $140 just to jump on a train to go and watch a game."
While the MBTA says it will not disclose the price of train tickets for World Cup games until next week, the Athletic reported the price could be more than $75 a ticket. Asked for comment, the MBTA said it has taken on a $35 million project to upgrade Foxboro Station in advance of this World Cup, including making it fully accessible. "The T plans to run an unprecedented amount of service for the World Cup, mobilizing up to 20,000 riders to and from each match, and we're excited to serve the global community of soccer fans coming to Massachusetts," an MBTA spokesperson said.
Foxborough resident Rick Lane, who moved to the area from England, said he doesn't think Boston is ready to host the FIFA World Cup.
"The World Cup is in Foxborough, which is a tiny town of 11,000 people that just got unlucky enough to end up with Kraft building their stadium within their city limits," Lane said. "Fans are going to come rolling in on June 13 too. It's going to be crazy."
Boston is also among the World Cup host cities seeing widespread cancellations of hotel room bookings by soccer governing body FIFA.
Boston Business Journal previously reported that MeetBoston, the city's regional tourism bureau, did not provide the number of hotel rooms cancelled by FIFA. The reduction was expected, however, in part because the original estimates from two to three years ago were inflated.
Lane, who also runs a Facebook group for UK soccer fans living in Boston, said he thinks the fact that Gillette Stadium is being rebranded as Boston Stadium for the event will confuse fans who are not from the U.S.
"A lot of fans that are going to be coming here from Norway, France, Scotland and any of the other countries that are going to be participating, are not going to be aware that the stadium is the best part of 35 miles south of Boston," Lane said. "Getting there is a nightmare, an absolute nightmare."
Lane said that when Brazil played France in a soccer match at Gillette Stadium on March 26, "traffic was a nightmare. Logistics were a nightmare. Train was a nightmare, and these are people who live here."
"Imagine once we get an influx of… I would say 20,000 Scotland fans in Boston, plus all of the French fans, plus all of the England fans," he said.
Tickets themselves for the seven games range from more than $600 for the earlier games to more than $3,000 for some seats. FIFA is using dynamic pricing for tickets, which means it will adjust prices in real time based on demand. After complaints, FIFA said it would have limited numbers of $60 tickets available for loyal fans, available though the teams.
O'Hara said just getting to the stadium is an added expense on top of concessions and any other purchase made at the actual event.
"For a family of four for a day out, you're talking thousands of dollars just to get there, watch a game of soccer and have a bite and a beer," he said. "So, lunacy. In theory [it's] for a game of soccer, but they're taking advantage of people's passion, so it's a real shame."
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