The buzz surrounding the upcoming 2026 World Cup has just started, and not in a good way. We are less than 50 days away from arguably the biggest sporting event in the world, yet many opinions are negative. According to ESPN, the past events in the USA have fallen short of expectations, including the Club World Cup in 2025, and the Copa America in 2024; because of the heat of the American summer, game schedule and ticketing problems, along with horrible pitches to play in, have made many fans believe this World Cup will underperform.
Now, there’s good news and changes. This tournament is different compared to past international sporting events in the USA, with 48 teams, a new expansion, and the first World Cup to be hosted by three countries: Mexico, the USA, and Canada. This World Cup can provide better infrastructure, tighter security, and better prep than previous events.
The first problem this event has seen has been high ticket prices. Since April 22, tickets have been sold to the public for all games. Along with the tickets for the final in New Jersey, at MetLife Stadium. A reseller has gone viral for selling 4 pitchside tickets, each costing 2.25 million dollars, even though FIFA specifically regulates ticket reselling. Extreme demand is turning into dirty profit.
The 2026 World Cup final tickets official prices are around $10,990, and according to FIFA, The Guardian, AP, and MercoPress, it costs more than 5 times what fans had to pay to watch the 2022 World Cup Final, 7.5 times what it cost to watch the final in Russia in 2018, and 8 times what it cost to watch the final in Brazil. And comparing it to the last World Cup in 2022, which, according to FIFA, the average ticket price (all rounds) is 1.7 times higher than in the last World Cup. The ex-Liverpool president commented on the topic, “Fifa is taking advantage of the unique commercial opportunities in the US… and the secondary market being legal here, to make money.” Furthermore, these high prices have already made it hard to access the beautiful game without the money to attend these matches.
Additionally, new policies and changes in Visas are making it harder for fans to enter the country. According to the United States Department of Government, fans will need B1 and B2 visas, and the American Immigration Counsel says wait times and newly made restrictions of countries are making it difficult for fans to get visas to enter the country. Players from countries like the Ivory Coast, Senegal, and others are not allowed to enter the country without the paperwork, which may not arrive in time. German national Steve Schwarzbach, who attended the previous three world cups, says he will be skipping this event because of ICE saying he will not be protected by anyone and ICE will pull him out along with other fans. ICE is not only scaring the fans, but the government since according to the New York Times, the Democratic Party of New Jersey is afraid that ICE will keep people away, yet fans are pushing FIFA to ask ICE and the United States for a slight schedule change, and leave federal police to handle the World Cup.
Finally, along with all these problems, being the first World Cup with three nations hosting it, Stewart Robson, voice of EAFC, says that the World Cup is better played in one country, and with it being across a lot of places, it loses its magic. This feeling is shared by fans, especially Kieran Maguire a lifelong fan who is speaking to media outlet NPR,, who says he does not feel welcome in the US and he will boycott the event saying “We’ve seen what’s happened in Minnesota. We’ve seen what’s happened in other cities as a whole.” Since they feel like newer mascots, World Cup songs, and the magic it brought are becoming politicized and turned into a spectacle to bring revenue in for FIFA, as many fans put it, football was created by the poor and stolen by the rich.
The 2026 World Cup has the potential to be unforgettable; it could be innovative and successful, but if FIFA fails to address concerts, ticket prices, fan experiences, and travel, the event may be remembered for the wrong reasons.
