To find the best places for loving on the world’s favorite sport, WalletHub compared nearly 300 U.S. cities with at least one college or professional soccer team across five divisions comprising 52 key metrics. The data set ranges from minimum season-ticket price for a game to stadium accessibility to number of championship wins.
Below are some highlights from the infographic and report.
World Cup By The Numbers
- $220 Billion: Reported cost of hosting the 2022 World Cup (most expensive in history).
- $7 Billion: Expected revenue for FIFA from the 2022 World Cup cycle ($600 million over the target budget initially set).
- $20 Billion: The World Cup’s expected impact on Qatar’s economy.
- $2,286: Average price of the cheapest round-trip tickets from a major U.S. city to Doha for the World Cup.
- $847 Million: Estimated cost of the Al Bayt Stadium, the most expensive venue built for the 2022 World Cup (6.5 times cheaper than the SoFi Stadium, the world most expensive arena).
- $425 Million: Amount paid by Fox for the rights to the 2018 and 2022 World Cup tournaments.
- 1st: Time the World Cup will be held in the Middle East Region (with Qatar being the smallest nation to ever host the tournament).
| Top 20 Cities for Soccer Fans | |
| 1. Los Angeles, CA | 11. Columbus, OH |
| 2. Seattle, WA | 12. Chicago, IL |
| 3. Portland, OR | 13. Boston, MA |
| 4. Orlando, FL | 14. Miami, FL |
| 5. Kansas City, MO | 15. Houston, TX |
| 6. Washington, DC | 16. Philadelphia, PA |
| 7. New York, NY | 17. Cary, NC |
| 8. Atlanta, GA | 18. Denver, CO |
| 9. Salt Lake City, UT | 19. Dallas, TX |
| 10. St. Paul, MN | 20. San Jose, CA |
