MLS ticket prices have long been the subject of controversy, particularly compared to the matchday experience of the Premier League. Many of the costs associated with going to an MLS game are high. Whether it’s the cost of the ticket, parking, food, or beverage, watching soccer in the United States is expensive. Although to be fair, that is consistent across all American sports and major events.
Yet, if Major League Soccer wants to provide an enjoyable matchday experience, it should draw inspiration from the Premier League. We can compare two of the most-talked-about teams in each of the leagues to see a direct comparison of how much the matchday experience is when comparing MLS and the Premier League. Inter Miami is the talk of Major League Soccer, even though Lionel Messi has been out of action since the Copa America. Likewise, Manchester United, despite its lack of form, is a major focus of the Premier League.
Below are the prices to compare going to a game of soccer at Inter Miami’s Chase Stadium versus Manchester United’s Old Trafford. The ticket prices are based on the cheapest official tickets available for the next upcoming home league game. For Inter Miami, that is Saturday, Sep. 14 against the Philadelphia Union. Manchester United’s ticket price comes from the Premier League home game against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, Sep. 29.
| Item | Old Trafford (Manchester United) | Chase Stadium (Inter Miami) |
| Matchday ticket | $47 | $102 |
| Parking | $13.15 | $53 |
| Hot dog | $5.50 | $11.75 |
| Pint of beer | $3.94 | $17.50 |
Now, getting tickets to a soccer game is a different story entirely. Tickets to Manchester United matches are like gold dust. None are available for the match against Spurs, while plenty are available for the game at Inter Miami’s temporary stadium. If you do try to get tickets on the secondary market, you can buy a ticket for Man United vs Spurs for $156. Vice-versa, you can get a ticket for Inter Miami vs Philadelphia for $48, which is less than the official retail price.
Parking accounts for a major difference between the two. With Premier League stadiums often in the hub of cities, parking may be harder to come by as clubs opt for public transport in and out of the stadium. However, for those parking at Old Trafford, the price is 75% cheaper than Chase Stadium.
There are a ton of food options at Chase Stadium. Everything from a Cuban sandwich to an empanada or more traditional stadium foods such as a hot dog ($11.75), chicken tenders ($13.75), and a burger ($12). Fries are an additional $4.
If you want a drink, a soda is $10.75, while a can of beer is $17.50. Over in England at Old Trafford, a pint of beer is the cheapest in the Premier League at $3.94. A bottle of Coke is $3.42 in the concourse at Manchester United.
Supporters at Manchester United can buy a burger outside the stadium from a food truck for $7.88, but food is cheaper inside Old Trafford. That’s because the club wants fans to get inside the stadium early so there isn’t a last-minute crush as people try to get in before kickoff.
The advantage of that is cheap food prices inside Old Trafford. For instance, you can get a meat pie ($4.33), hot dog ($5.50), a bar of chocolate ($1.97), or a packet of chips ($1.97). But the best deal of them all is to get a ‘meal deal,’ which includes a drink (beer or soda), pie or hot dog and a snack (such as chocolate or chips) for £7, which is the equivalent of $9.19. That’s less expensive than any one item on the Inter Miami menu inside Chase Stadium.
Unsurprisingly, a beer at an MLS game is massively expensive. Paying around $18 for a beer at an American sporting event is, sadly, quite common.
Despite having a higher quality of soccer and more recognizable players for a casual fan, the experience of attending a game in the English Premier League is far cheaper than attending an MLS game. There are several reasons for that, including football supporter associations fighting for the rights of soccer fans in the United Kingdom. In the United States, soccer doesn’t belong to the fans. On the other hand, stadiums in England often have more affordable prices for food and drink compared to their American counterpart.
Even before dynamic pricing, ticket prices have always been higher in the United States. Then, once at the game, many stadiums consider fans a “captive audience,” so they often charge ridiculous prices. It certainly hurts the fan’s wallet, but after paying more for everything regularly, many fans become desensitized to it and consider it a common practice in the United States.
PHOTO: IMAGO
