World Cup-bound Mainers excited for ‘once in a lifetime’ chance

Maine Fans Chase World Cup Dreams Despite High Costs and Travel Hurdles

Sabattus resident Sandy Spalding had not seen his native Scotland play in a World Cup since 1998. After a failed attempt to secure tickets through FIFA’s lottery, a surprise Christmas gift from his wife Meg changed everything.

Spalding opened a box that contained a Scotland national‑team jersey. Nestled beneath the shirt was a folded piece of paper holding two tickets for Saturday’s Group E clash between Scotland and Haiti at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. “I was delighted,” Spalding said. “It’s a once‑in‑a‑lifetime chance.” He added with a laugh, “I have no idea… probably best I don’t,” when asked about the price his wife paid.

Spalding is far from alone. Across Maine, a steady stream of enthusiasts is packing suitcases for the United States‑hosted tournament, braving congested highways, limited hotel space and ticket prices that can climb into the thousands of dollars. Their stories illustrate both the magnetic pull of the world’s biggest soccer event and the steep price tag now attached to it.

A Longtime Traveler Returns

Brock Kwiatkowsky of Bath has made attending every World Cup since the United States hosted the tournament in 1994 his personal tradition. This year he is taking his pilgrimage to three U.S. matches: the United States‑Paraguay game in Los Angeles (Friday), the United States‑Australia match in Seattle on June 19 and a United States‑Turkey showdown back in Los Angeles on June 25. “It’s so rare,” Kwiatkowsky said. “The stakes are so high, and your hopes are so high. … It’s the pinnacle of competition. It’s just fun.” He described the experience as a chance to meet fans from around the globe and to relive historic moments, recalling how he and his friend Sean Kennedy celebrated Landon Donovan’s late goal against Algeria in 2010 for hours before security forced them out.

Kwiatkowsky, who paid $1,600 for three tickets (one of which was discounted to $60 through his membership in the U.S. Sammers Supporters fan club), said the World Cup has become a biennial fixture in his calendar. “By now, (work knows) that when the World Cup rolls around, I’m probably looking for a week and a half, two weeks off,” he said. “I save up for it.” He plans a road‑trip itinerary that will take him up the Pacific Coast Highway, with a stop in Sonoma’s wine country, before meeting a friend in Seattle for the second game.

Young Fans and Family Adventures

Younger Maine fans are also seizing the opportunity. Jonah Nathanson, a junior midfielder for Cheverus High School’s boys soccer team, secured tickets for both the England‑Ghana group‑stage match on June 23 and a quarter‑final later on July 9, both at Gillette Stadium. After years of subtle hints, Nathanson convinced his parents to give him the tickets as a birthday and Christmas present. “It’s hard to wrap my head around that I’ll be going to the World Cup,” he said. “I’m eager to see these incredible players and teams play … but I think, almost equally, the culture and power of soccer in this way. There’s nothing bigger than the World Cup.”

Ranjiv Advani of Yarmouth will attend two games as well, having been selected in the FIFA lottery. He will watch England‑Ghana and Norway‑France, the latter just two days after the former, accompanied by his wife and two soccer‑playing sons. Advani said the wait—about two to three months—felt worthwhile. “You never know when it’s going to come around to the United States again,” he said. “To have the opportunity to go to a World Cup game a couple of hours from home, it seemed like an opportunity we couldn’t miss.” He kept the ticket cost to himself, noting his sons were “super psyched.”

The Price Tag Dilemma

Not all Maine fans have the luxury of lottery luck or generous gifts. Tyler Moore of Portland, who has dreamed of attending a World Cup since watching the 2006 tournament, purchased two tickets himself: Norway‑Iraq on June 16 and England‑Ghana a week later. His out‑of‑pocket expenses were $410 and $660, respectively. Moore described the buying process as “very painful,” criticizing FIFA’s dynamic pricing model, which has driven ticket prices past $1,000 and, for the final, topped $10,000 in April. “It seems like they’ve really calculated a way to get every last dollar,” he said. “You try to think of (FIFA) as this good entity that’s hosting this event for the fans. But it has felt like it’s an event for the money, and the fans are the way they’re extracting that money.” The limited release of tickets, he added, left him vulnerable to “sleazy” tactics and diminished some of the tournament’s magic.

Olivia Wenner of Freeport will travel with her father to see Norway‑France and a later round‑of‑32 match. She does not know the exact price her father paid, but she is aware of the broader cost crisis. “It absolutely bothers me, and I think it’s just the devil you have to live with if you want to go to sporting events like this,” she said. “It’s sad, but I’ve made up my mind, I don’t want to buy any FIFA merch or support FIFA any more than we (have). At its core, sports should be accessible to everyone.” Despite the expense, Wenner remains enthusiastic, recalling a trip to the Women’s World Cup in Canada in 2015 that sparked her love for international soccer culture.

Roadblocks and Rewards

The logistical challenges of traveling to the United States matches are not lost on Maine fans. congested highways, dwindling hotel availability and the sheer distance of some venues have created a logistical puzzle. Yet the allure of sharing a stadium with thousands of global supporters, hearing national anthems and witnessing historic matches outweighs the inconvenience for many.

For fans like Spalding, Kwiatkowsky, Nathanson, Advani, Moore and Wenner, the World Cup remains a once‑in‑a‑lifetime opportunity—one that demands financial sacrifice, meticulous planning and a willingness to embrace the unpredictable nature of international sport. As Spalding put it, the thrill of finally securing a ticket after 28 years makes the trek worthwhile, regardless of the cost.