#5 — Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City): $22.37
Entering the top 5 most expensive, Arrowhead Stadium, in Kansas City, with the combo at $22.37 — the "cheapest" among the expensive U.S. stadiums, but still more than double Estadio Akron.
A single beer there tops $18. To put it in perspective: just for the combo, you'd pay more than a full meal at a casual restaurant in town. And there are still four more expensive stadiums ahead.
#4 — Other premium U.S. stadiums: the $28 to $31 range
Climbing the podium, there's a batch of top-tier American stadiums in the $28 to $31 range for the combo. These are big-market arenas, where concession prices were already among the highest in world sport even before the World Cup.
The logic is the same as always: a captive audience, high operating costs, and FIFA's decision to let each local operator charge what it always charged. The result is one of the most expensive sports on the planet to watch live.
Top 3. And the three most expensive have something in common.
#3 — SoFi Stadium (Los Angeles): $32.24
The bronze for most expensive goes to SoFi Stadium, in Los Angeles, with the combo at $32.24. No surprise: it's the most expensive stadium ever built, and it became the symbol of the World Cup's "luxury" pricing.
A large can of Estrella or Stella Artois there costs about $21.50. Local brands, like Pacífico and Michelob Ultra, come a little cheaper. But "cheap" isn't a word that applies to SoFi.
The top two are neck and neck. And they lead for a reason.
#2 — MetLife Stadium (New Jersey): $33.22
In second, separated from the leader by less than a dollar and a half, is MetLife Stadium, the stage for the final, with the combo at $33.22.
There's a certain cruel logic to it: the stadium that will host the World Cup decider, watched by more than a billion people, is also one of the most expensive places to eat and drink in the entire tournament. Whoever goes to the final will pay dearly in every sense — ticket and hot dog.
And now #1 — the stadium making European fans sick with how expensive it is.