An England superfan saved £10,348.06 on tickets to watch the team at the World Cup by joining the England Supporters Travel Club and attending qualifiers. Alex Wickett, 25, from Stafford, secured three match tickets for a combined total of £1,433 through the FA, compared to £11,787.50 on the FIFA platform.
How he saved thousands
Wickett joined the England Supporters Travel Club in 2022 and built up points by attending friendlies and all qualifiers, both home and away. This allowed him to buy tickets directly through the FA. He set aside £2,000 from his job as a project coordinator for the trip. He dipped into savings to attend qualifiers, a strategy to avoid reselling platforms and secure cheaper tickets.
Tickets and itinerary
He picked up conditional tickets for England's round of 16 match against Mexico in Mexico City, plus potential quarter-final and semi-final matches. If England fails to progress, he will receive a refund but still intends to travel. He departs for Atlanta on July 3 and returns July 17. Accommodation includes hostels at £15 per night in Mexico City and Cancun, and an apartment in Miami for around $500.
Wickett said: "It's extortionate and it hurts but it's not as bad as I was looking at to buy on resale. Even as a kid growing up I never thought we had a manager in place to get it over the line. Thomas Tuchel has been building a team of the best 26 players and the club, atmosphere and camaraderie between those 26 players has taken things to another level."
Membership surge
Membership of the England Supporters Travel Club was 8,500 when he joined but has since risen to over 33,000. Wickett supports non-league Stafford Rangers and volunteers for the club. He has visited 252 football grounds and 36 countries in four years, spending over £30,000 on his hobby. He said: "Football isn't about billionaires, hydration breaks, advertisers, it's about the every day fan, who works hard to follow their club home and away out of pride for their community and love for their team."
