Man City Champions League fan guide: Cost of following Enzo Maresca’s side in 2026-27 tournament

Manchester City's first Champions League campaign of the post-Pep Guardiola era promises to be one of the most intriguing European adventures in the club's recent history.

Enzo Maresca has been handed the daunting task of succeeding the legendary Spanish manager, and the new Man City boss will be eager to have a strong first season at the helm.

While the Citizens may not be among the outright favourites to lift the Champions League trophy, they undoubtedly possess the quality to go all the way, and plenty of Man City fans will be hoping to follow their side across Europe for as long as possible.

For those who are planning on following Manchester City home and away during the Champions League league phase, and potentially beyond, FootballGroundGuide breaks down the budget, average and luxury cost options.

Man City's 2026/27 League Phase Fixtures

Manchester City found out their draw for the league phase on August 27, with the Citizens handed some particularly challenging fixtures.

• Paris Saint-Germain (Etihad Stadium)
• Sporting Lisbon (Etihad Stadium)
• Napoli (Etihad Stadium)
• AEK Athens (Etihad Stadium)
• Barcelona (Camp Nou)
• FC Porto (Estadio do Dragao)
• RC Lens (Stade Bollaert-Delelis)
• RB Leipzig (Red Bull Arena Leipzig)

The dates for these fixtures are yet to be decided, but an announcement is expected in the coming days.

Budget Option: Around £1,250

A supporter attempting the cheapest realistic version of following Manchester City during the league phase should still expect to spend more than £1,000.

Assuming:

• Cheapest matchday tickets are purchased
• Advance-booked, hand-luggage-only flights
• A cheap hotel/hostel for one night
• Budget food options

Around £200 is expected to be spent solely on the four home matches, with £120 on tickets, £20 on local transport and £60 on food and drink.

Another £950 could be added for away matches, which includes tickets coming in at £172, with each ticket calculated to cost roughly £43.

Leipzig could be the most expensive away day for supporters, with around £288 likely needed to cover the ticket, local transport, food and drink, a one night budget accommodation and transport to and from the country.

Barcelona and Lens could both cost around £238, with £43 on tickets, £100 on travel to and from the location, £25 on food and another £20 on local transport.

Finally, Porto is anticipated to be the cheapest, with £43 on a ticket, £20 on local transport, £24 on food, £40 on accommodation and £60 on transport to and from the location coming to an estimated overall figure of £188.

Middle-Ground Option: Around £2,400

For most Manchester City fans, this is the most realistic estimate for a comfortable but not extravagant experience.

A mid-range experience would likely include:

• Good seats rather than the cheapest possible matchday tickets
• Standard hotels in central areas
• Regular restaurant meals and bars
• Public transport plus some taxis/Ubers
• Direct/straightforward flights

Home matches would cost approximately £380 in total, with £50 per ticket, £10 on transport and £35 on food and drink.

Meanwhile, total transport costs to and from the away days could come to around £728, with another £563 spent on standard hotels in more accessible areas to the respective stadiums.

Food and drink could add another £60 per matchday, with a further £40 on local transport and £43 on tickets, bringing the overall cost of the four away days to around £1,860.

Luxury Option: Around £8,250

Finally, for supporters wanting a premium, VIP-style experience following Manchester City across Europe, costs could escalate rapidly.

That type of experience would include:

• Premium hospitality tickets
• Taxi/private transport
• Food/drinks beyond what is included
• Luxury hotels
• Premium/business flights

Around a £3,000 budget could be needed for home matches, with tickets at £450 each, as well as another £100+ per game on food and drink, local transport and any further spending money at the club shop.

For away matches, another £5,250 would be added, even with matchday tickets limited at £43 per away day.

Luxury hotels in the four cities could come to an overall amount of £1,070, with another £2,200 on flights to and from the four locations.

An extra £150 budget per matchday for local transport could be needed, while another £200 for food and drinks has been added to the overall figure.

Tickets could be even more expensive

Tickets being capped at £43 for away days would require supporters to purchase their tickets through Man City's official away-ticket system, rather than relying on getting tickets from any secondary-markets, which would add significantly more to the overall budget.

Supporters travelling from anywhere outside of Manchester would also have to spend more to get to and from the city on home and away days.