FIFA Say World Cup Too Big to Derail

The FIFA World Cup has historically been an event that brings together fans from across the world. The United States, Canada and Mexico are the hosts for the 2026 edition.

The tournament will take place from June 11 to July 19. The matches are spread across sixteen cities – eleven in the US, three in Mexico, and two in Canada. And the first to have 48 teams, an enlargement of sixteen teams compared to the previous seven tournaments. 

The total number of games played will expand from 64 to 104, and the number of games played by teams reaching the final four will increase from seven to eight. 

With less than 90 days until kickoff, issues are aplenty.

On January 01, the US expanded its visa-issuance suspensions to nationals from 39 countries, citing national security and public safety concerns and saying the identified countries could not properly vet their citizens. Four of the countries on the banned list – Haiti, Senegal, Ivory Coast and Iran – have qualified for the World Cup.

Many fans rely on tourist visas, and ICE are expected to be responsible for security at the World Cup. And ICE’s director has refused to commit to pausing the agency’s operations during the tournament. Human rights groups have raised concerns over whether World Cup visitors will be detained and handed to ICE if they engage in actions deemed critical of the US government.

And this Truth Social post by Donald Trump on March 12 is disturbing:

Trump later posted another message on his social media platform to emphasise that the event would be safe for players and spectators from around the world. 😆😆😆

Indeed, the World Cup is facing unprecedented uncertainty stemming from geopolitical crises, security concerns, and financial challenges.

That's not all. FIFA have set the highest ticket prices ever for a World Cup, leading to outrage among fans. 

And the use of dynamic pricing saw ticket costs for the final rise to nearly $8,700, potentially pricing out supporters.

Despite these issues, FIFA officials have maintained that the 2026 tournament – set to be the largest ever with 48 teams – is "too big" to derail and is expected to proceed as planned.