2026 World Cup: A potential embarrassment for FIFA and North America

The 2026 World Cup is set to take place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico in two years time, but with concerns around costs, logistics, and the quality of the host nations all suggest this could be a World Cup to forget.

A smaller issue than most we will address here, but still worth noting, is the lack of a competitive host team. With the USA ranked 16th, Mexico 17th, and Canada a lowly 40th in the official FIFA rankings, none of those nations look able to make a deep run into the tournament, possibly leading to a lack of atmosphere.

One of the major issues facing the World Cup is finances, with billions needed to ensure stadia and logistics are up to standard. In Vancouver, one of the Canadian host cities, CityNews asked locals what their views on the potential spending were, with one Vancouverian saying, “I think they should work on something to help people here, instead of having FIFA here.”

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CityNews asked other residents of Vancouver, with many answering in a similar vein, why is FIFA and the World Cup the priority when there is an ongoing cost of living crisis?

In response, Lana Popham, the Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport for British Columbia, said, “I think people should understand: if I had that number, I would share it, because we’re going to be completely transparent.” Even those involved don’t know the full cost of hosting a World Cup, just two years out from the event.

Popham continued, “We didn’t expect to get seven games, so what seven games means to the province is that the costs are going to go up because everything we were trying to figure out with five games, like security, etcetera, is now up by two. So, we have to rework those numbers.” Which shouldn’t fill anyone with any confidence.

Vancouver’s CityNews has reported the total estimated budget for the city was $190 million (£145 million/€170 million) in 2022 but is expected to vastly exceed that due to inflation and other factors. Toronto’s total cost is expected to be north of $280 million (£210 million/€251 million).

America isn’t known for its extensive network of public transport, with most stadiums boasting giant parking lots where fans gather to tailgate before games. This is a huge part of American sporting culture, but with potentially over a million fans descending on American cities to follow their nation, this infrastructure could prove challenging.

The 2024 Copa America was hosted by the USA and showcased many of these issues, with Barney Ronay of The Guardian writing, “Even public transportation-rich locations have issues. In New Jersey, fans negotiated stuck trains and a lack of reliable bus service en route to MetLife Stadium for its two games, both of which featured late-arriving crowds as a result.”

As Ronay writes, MetLife Stadium is set to host the World Cup Final, but it’s transitway is, “designed to move 12,000 fans per hour. MetLife Stadium holds 82,000,” could we see a World Cup Final with fans missing the opening stages due to transport issues?

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Another stadium set to host World Cup games is Arrowhead in Kansas City, a metropolis boasting, “A near-complete lack of public transportation links,” leaving the parking lot in a state of gridlock for hours before the US played Uruguay at the 2024 Copa America.

Fan issues persisted during the Copa America even if they were lucky enough to make it to the stadium on time, with the semi-final clash between Uruguay and Colombia marred by ugly scenes as fans attempted to break into the stadium by any means necessary and Uruguayan players confronting Colombian fans after the game over accusations of abuse towards their families.

The 2026 World Cup is scheduled to be played in the middle of the American summer, when temperatures can regularly reach 100f (38c) and often with significant humidity. Will FIFA need to introduce water breaks as they have done in the past?

Most of the North American continent is in the midst of a significant homelessness crisis, with USAFacts suggesting over 650,000 Americans live without a fixed address. In the past, especially for Olympic host cities, organizers have dealt with this issue by bussing homeless individuals, however, with LA mayor Karen Bass pledging not to do so during the 2028 Olympics in her city, it could become an issue if she sticks by that pledge for the World Cup.

Per The LA Times, Bass has implemented a strategy of breaking up homeless encampments in her city and providing motel or hotel rooms to those needing them as a temporary measure. But, as UCLA professor Gary Blasi told the LA Times in relation to the 2028 Olympics, “I can’t imagine that anybody with a motel will take $105 for a room from the city when they will have visitors from all over the world.”

Of course, we hope the World Cup goes off without a hitch, but to paraphrase Barney Ronay’s piece for The Guardian, show us how you will ensure fans arrive on time and can deal with the oppressive heat. Show us how security will be of the highest order and show us soon, otherwise the 2026 World Cup could be an embarrassment for FIFA and the North American continent.

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