The World Cup begins at the historic Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, where the home team, Mexico, will meet South Africa in the opening match, in a new return of this famous stadium to the forefront of the World Cup after it hosted matches in the 1970 and 1986 editions.
Although FIFA President Gianni Infantino described the tournament as “the largest, most comprehensive and greatest in the history of the World Cup,” expecting 7 million fans to attend the stadiums and 6 billion people around the world to follow, the start comes surrounded by unprecedented challenges.
At the organizational level, the tournament is facing major logistical difficulties as a result of being held in 3 countries, with the United States hosting the largest number of matches, at a time when the country is witnessing a rise in prices, political tension, and an ongoing war in Iran.
In Mexico, social tensions cast a shadow over the festive atmosphere, after protesters blocked the road to the main square designated for mass celebrations on the eve of the opening.
As for the visa issue, it was one of the most controversial issues before the start of the tournament. US immigration policies sparked widespread criticism, especially after the award-winning Somali referee, Omar Artan, was excluded after he was banned from entering the United States.
Despite Trump’s great support for hosting the World Cup in America, and his clear relationship with Infantino, his administration’s decisions have left a negative impact on the image of the tournament, especially with regard to the slogan of inclusiveness raised by FIFA.
Iran was not far from these complications. The US-Israeli war on Iran raised questions about the participation of the Iranian national team, which moved its camp from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico, amid complaints of visa problems and the withdrawal of some tickets.
Ticket prices also sparked great anger among fans. When tickets were put up for general sale in January, their prices ranged between $140 and $8,680, before some prices later rose sharply, reaching $32,970 for the final match. Fans considered that what happened represented a “major betrayal” of the fans.
On the secondary market, the prices seemed even more shocking, as the FIFA resale platform in April offered 4 tickets for the final at a price close to $2.3 million per ticket, with the International Federation receiving a 30% commission from each resale. The cost of parking and high transportation prices also sparked additional dissatisfaction among fans.
Infantino defended the pricing policy, saying that demand was equivalent to “a thousand years of World Cups at once,” stressing that all 104 matches would see tickets sold out.
But a recent IPSOS poll showed that only 26% of Americans said they were somewhat excited about the World Cup, while only 7% said they were very or very excited. Hotel reservations in most US host cities were lower than expected, according to a survey conducted by the American Hotel and Lodging Association in April.
The tournament also poses a climate challenge, as expanding the size of the competition and holding it in three countries will increase emissions resulting from transportation and travel. High temperatures are also expected to affect players, fans and workers, especially in cities such as Dallas and Houston, with the possibility of the temperature reaching more than 32 degrees Celsius.
For this reason, safety measures will be adopted, such as pauses for drinking water, and FIFA has withdrawn from a planned ban on fans bringing refillable water bottles into stadiums.
Despite all the controversy, football is ultimately still able to steal the spotlight. All eyes will be on Lionel Messi, who may make his last appearance in the World Cup, and on Cristiano Ronaldo, who is searching for the only major title that he missed in his career, at the age of 41.
Brazil, the record holder with 5 titles, is also seeking to regain the cup after more than two decades, led by Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti, while England is betting on German coach Thomas Tuchel to end a 60-year wait.
The host teams, the United States, Mexico and Canada, have the ambition to appear strong in front of their fans. The American team, led by Argentine coach Mauricio Pochettino, hopes to achieve a major surprise, amid an internal speech entitled: “Why not us?”
Between the record numbers, the protests, the high prices, the heat, and the visas, the 2026 World Cup begins as the largest edition in history, but also as one of the most controversial editions before the first match is played. (France24)
