England fans face $18.50 beers and $8 water at Dallas World Cup opener against Croatia

England fans heading to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas for Wednesday’s World Cup Group F opener against Croatia are bracing for some of the most expensive concession prices seen across any of the tournament’s host venues.

A standard 16oz draft beer at the Dallas stadium costs $18.50 (£13.84), while ‘American beer’ is priced at $15.95 (£11.93). Even non-alcoholic beer comes in at $16.95 (£12.68) for the same serving size. A basic 20oz bottle of water will set supporters back $8.25 (around £6.20).

For context, water at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles — where the USMNT beat Paraguay 4-1 — was priced at $5.25 (£3.93). At Gillette Stadium in Boston, the venue for England’s second group game against Ghana, water costs $7 (£5.24), still cheaper than Dallas. The most affordable option across England’s three group venues appears to be MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where water is listed at $5 (£3.74) and an American beer at $16 (£11.97) ahead of the Panama fixture on Saturday 27 June.

All fans attending World Cup matches in the USA and Canada are permitted to bring one soft, factory-sealed plastic bottle of water into the stadium. However, supporters arriving at the Dallas venue were asked to remove the lids from their bottles upon entry.

Food prices at AT&T Stadium are similarly steep. A bag of crisps costs $7 (£5.24), Dallas Nachos are priced at $16 (£11.95), chicken tenders and fries come to $16.75 (£12.53), and fries alone are $8 (£5.99).

The variation in alcohol prices between venues reflects a combination of commercial partnerships and local government regulations. It marks a notable shift from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where beer was banned from stadium concourses entirely.