England fans face hidden World Cup costs in New York City

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Cameron Smith | Digital Content Producer

Accredited sports journalist covering football since 2020

England fans who have travelled to New York City to watch the Three Lions’ final group stage match of the 2026 World Cup against Panama on Saturday will face hidden costs throughout their stay in The Big Apple.

After a 4-2 win over Croatia and a disappointing 0-0 draw versus Ghana, Thomas Tuchel’s side head into their last group stage fixture in pole position to top Group L, with a win likely to be enough to secure first place.

Panama, meanwhile, have already been knocked out after consecutive 1-0 defeats and they will be playing for nothing but pride on Saturday, which could work in England’s favour as they look to top their World Cup group for the second consecutive tournament.

Due to incidents at Euro 2016 and the delayed Euro 2020, the reputation of England fans at major tournaments isn’t stellar, however things have been much improved this time around.

American police were said to have been “stunned” by the well-mannered nature of the Three Lions’ supporters against Croatia, while it was a similar story versus Ghana, despite the disappointing result. It’s understood that zero England fans have been arrested up to this point, and there is confidence this trend will continue in New York this weekend.

As supporters out in the States may have already realised, there is a huge tipping culture in the USA and it’s certainly no difference in New York City itself, meaning England fans will be forced to fork out hidden costs on top of their bills when they eat out at restaurants or drink at bars.

Typically, it’s customary to tip double the tax in America and with New York City local tax at 8.875%, most round up and leave a 20% tip. As a result, a $20 meal will cost $24 when including a tip.

World Cup fans aren’t all leaving tips

Despite the huge influx in tourists visiting America, the New York Post have confirmed that many visitors have not yet conformed to America’s tipping culture.

Louise Daggett, a waitress at McCarthy’s Pub on West 46th Street said: “Everyone has been really sweet . . . they’re loud and happy, very nice. It’s very different. And a lot of people haven’t been leaving tips.

“There’s been a lot of tables that have come in and had a tab of almost $700. They do ask,” she continued. “They say, ‘Oh, how do I do this?’ and I explain to them that tipping is big here in the city, and it’s a nice habit to do.

“All in all, I haven’t had a bad experience because they’re so happy and excited. And they try.”

Anne Calimano, co-owner of Hurley’s Saloon, added: “It’s busy, morning, noon and night… I mean, obviously they don’t tip like normal.

“The bartender might say, ‘was everything alright with the service?’ And they say ‘yeah,’ because in Europe . . . [the tip] was already included in the price, and they think that.”

Meanwhile, Cathal Reynolds, a bartender at Garvey’s Irish Pub, said: “Just all day, through the day, even our mornings are busier than our night time now. Scotland has just taken over this city.

“They’ve already spent a lot of money to be here in the first place,” he said. “The tipping, I’m not too fussed about it. I think if you do come here, you should just engage in the culture because I think you’ll have a better time.”