Soccer-Fans in Vancouver shrug off high prices as personal journeys drive World Cup trips

By Mohammed Benmansour and Pearl Josephine Nazare

VANCOUVER, June 11 (Reuters) – Fans arriving in Vancouver for the World Cup are braving steep ticket prices, but some are shrugging off the cost, drawn instead by personal journeys that extend beyond football – from honouring loved ones to sharing the tournament with family.

The global showpiece event, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, started on Thursday with Mexico beating South Africa 2-0 in a feisty clash that produced three red cards. Vancouver hosts its first match on Saturday, when Turkey face Australia in a Group D game.

For some supporters, the trip carries deep personal meaning. A German fan said he chose to visit Vancouver in tribute to his late father, who was fond of the city, even as he acknowledged the rising cost of attending matches.

“We are here to watch Australia against Turkey, and I’m happy to get some tickets,” Harold from Germany told Reuters.

“I paid $150. That’s a lot of money for a football match, but I got lucky to get tickets at this price.”

“We’ve been to tournaments in Germany, the World Cup, and the World Cup in Brazil in 2014, and it has always been expensive, but it’s getting more and more expensive, and I don’t like this, but I think it’s a great atmosphere.”

LASTING MEMORIES

Australian fan Mark Wright, attending his fifth World Cup with his family, said the expense mattered little compared with the chance to create lasting memories.

The Socceroos have made a habit of qualifying for the global showpiece, reaching the last six editions and advancing to the round of 16 for a second time in Qatar four years ago.

“It wasn’t about the cost. I’ve been to four World Cups now, and it’s never about the cost,” Wright said. “It’s about following my country and my team, and spending time with my family.

“For me, the World Cup is a lifetime memory – doing things that I love, celebrating, watching.

“I think the World Cup makes everywhere better. You see the best version of a country or a city, because people are happy. Generally, the weather decides to be good as well, out of some sort of miracle. But football is life, as they say in (the popular TV show) Ted Lasso, and I think that gives everyone a bit of a feeling, and it improves the city.”

(Reporting by Mohammed Benmansour, writing by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Vancouver, editing by Ed Osmond)