The 2026 World Cup is set to rewrite records. With 48 nations, 104 matches and a sprawling network of host cities that stretches from Seattle to Tijuana, the tournament will be the largest and most expensive edition of football’s premier event. Yet beneath the spectacle lies a growing concern: the competition is becoming less accessible to ordinary fans.
Expansion and the price of participation
The expansion has meant more travel, higher operational costs and a crowded schedule that strains players and risks diluting the sport’s cultural magic. At the same time, ticket prices have surged, and visa policies in the United States, Canada and Mexico have tightened, effectively keeping out supporters from countries such as Iran and Haiti.
For many, the dream of watching a match in a stadium that will host a World Cup final feels out of reach. The financial barrier is compounded by geopolitical tensions that turn simple travel into a bureaucratic hurdle, turning the tournament’s promise of global unity into a selective experience.
Political undercurrents
FIFA president Gianni Infantino recently presented U.S. President Donald Trump with the “FIFA Peace Prize: Football Unites the World” during the group‑stage draw, a gesture that underscores the tournament’s entanglement with politics. Meanwhile, Iran’s request to relocate its group‑stage matches to Mexico was denied, highlighting the stubbornness of visa restrictions.
Human Rights Watch has documented at least 167,000 ICE arrests in and around the 11 U.S. host cities between January 2025 and March 2026, a figure that adds a stark layer to the debate over who is welcome on American soil during the event.
A test of unity
The World Cup has always been more than a game; it is a brief opening of the world that connects disparate communities. This edition, however, is testing that promise, raising uncomfortable questions about the intended audience and the price of participation.
As the tournament approaches, the conversation shifts from pure sport to the broader social contract of who gets to share in the celebration. The answer will depend on how governing bodies, sponsors and host nations balance commercial ambition with the inclusive spirit that once defined the World Cup.