Spain fans celebrate the game-winning goal by Spain midfielder Mikel Merino during the second half of a World Cup round of 16 soccer match against Portugal, Monday, July 6, 2026, in Arlington. Spain defeated Portugal 1-0.
Elías Valverde II/The Dallas Morning News
ARLINGTON — To reach the second to last row of section 418, May Becerra trudged across the concourse and climbed too many sets of stairs to count, studying the signs directing fans along the trek.
“Still higher?” she asked her friend at the World Cup match Monday between Spain and Portugal.
Yes, still higher. When she finally arrived at her seat in the upper deck, she took in the expansive view of Dallas Stadium, typically known as AT&T Stadium. To her pleasant surprise, the view from the nosebleeds was not so bad.
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“I don’t really mind sitting up here,” said Becerra, a 44-year-old Spain fan who lives in Los Angeles. “A seat at the World Cup is a seat at the World Cup.”
Sky high ticket prices have dominated discussions surrounding this World Cup and sparked global outrage, with North Texas ranking among the most expensive venues to catch a game for an average cost of $1,557 per ticket. Monday’s match-up was one of the priciest.
Ahead of the game — which featured Portugal’s all-time great Cristiano Ronaldo against Spain’s 18-year-old star Lamine Yamal — tickets soared to well over $2,000 in resale markets. Yes, even in the nosebleeds.
Related: Cristiano Ronaldo says it again: His 6th World Cup with Portugal will be his last
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That has left many fans weighing two questions: How much money is too much? And just how high is too high?
For Becerra, the opportunity to watch her beloved Spain proved impossible to pass up. She and her friend jumped when they found tickets for about $1,600.
“You don’t get this atmosphere watching on TV,” said Becerra, grasping a $16 Michelob Ultra. “This is incredible.”
Spain midfielder Mikel Merino (6) shoots and scores the games only goal as the crowd was doing the ‘wave’ during the second half of a World Cup round of 16 match at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, July 6, 2026.
Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News
Nearby in section 405, William Muñoz rooted for Spain in its 1-0 victory from the stadium’s last row. Muñoz, 56, who lives in Orlando, purchased a ticket for every game Spain might play in, except for the final match, which he said was too expensive.
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Muñoz spent about $1,000 on Monday’s ticket, adding that he did consider a seat closer to the field but could not justify spending $3,000.
“I follow Spain,” he said, “but from up here.”
The view was not so bad, he added, and the air conditioning was excellent.
Some fans pointed out the benefits of watching from the nosebleed section. Nuno Andrade, 48, who is from Portugal but lives in New York, traveled to North Texas with his 17-year-old daughter, Amelia. An upper deck seat offers a sweeping view of the field, he said.
“I like the tactics of the game,” he said. “This way I can see everything, the whole picture.”
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Andrade, who wore a white cowboy hat, declined to say how much he spent on the tickets, which were a last-minute birthday present for his daughter. He criticized FIFA over the tournament’s exorbitant ticket prices, though.
“It’s far too expensive,” he said. “They have been very opaque.”
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced last month he is investigating complaints that FIFA misled fans over the quality of their seats. New York and New Jersey have announced similar investigations. In June, FIFA President Gianni Infantino defended ticket prices and said they are representative of other high-profile sporting events in the United States. He said he was unconcerned about the investigations.
High prices have not deterred thousands of fans.
Javier and Alejandra Muruato, both from El Paso, watched prices fluctuate for days before finally snapping up $1,300 tickets for Monday’s game.
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The 34-year-old Mexico fans split their allegiances — he cheered for Portugal and she for Spain — from their seats in the upper reaches of the stadium. They had no regrets.
“I’m just happy to be here,” he said, gesturing toward the field. “It doesn’t matter where we sit.”
Related: A Frisco 11-year-old dreamt of going to the World Cup. So he started a lemonade stand