The 2026 Men’s FIFA World Cup is set to kick off in June of this year. The tournament will be the biggest instalment with 48 national teams being hosted across three North American countries: Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Although these aspects make it sound like it will quickly become the most exciting World Cup to date, many issues surrounding the host countries, their leadership and FIFA itself are leaving fans concerned for the tournament to come.
Hydration Breaks or Ad Breaks?
A new addition to any FIFA tournament, also included in the 2026 Men’s World Cup, is a mandatory water break per half in each match. FIFA says the change was made to address players’ health and safety during the tournament’s summer heat.
Previously, only games with extreme heat were given time during regular play for a water break, but with FIFA making it mandatory in every game and allowing broadcasters to play ads during each three-minute slot, it’s looking a lot more like the amount of ads other sports feature in these North American host countries.
Ticket Prices
Sky-high ticket prices are nothing new for the North American hosts, with big games and concerts regularly reaching hundreds or even thousands of dollars, as seen in the Super Bowl, World Series and Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.
World Cup tickets have never been priced this high, but since FIFA began using a dynamic pricing system, ticket prices have increased at both the base and resale levels.
Even the fan festival has been affected by FIFA’s need for cash. Every previous World Cup has had the adjacent event open for free, but host cities like Toronto, which previously promised free tickets, are now hoping to charge for tickets.
ICE Presence
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the United States have recently been causing unrest throughout the country. ICE has violently detained civilians they racially profile and assume to be in the country illegally. They have even shot multiple US citizens this past year.
The 2026 Men’s FIFA World Cup is the largest version of the global event. Fans from all over the world want to watch the event, and with more teams qualifying than ever before, even more will be drawn to travel to witness it live. Especially after multiple people were shot by ICE earlier this year, the news regarding them performing security at World Cup games has left many people feeling uncertain and unsafe.
Visa Issues and Fan Entry
Some countries, such as Haiti, are not allowed to enter the host country their national team will be playing in due to ongoing travel bans. In the case of Haiti, fans there won’t be allowed to watch their men’s national team play in its first World Cup since 1974.
Some other countries aren’t experiencing total bans, but the United States has made it as difficult as possible for its fans to enter. Fans from countries such as Algeria and Senegal will need to pay a deposit of up to $15,000 USD to obtain a visa. This amount is already large enough, but fans coming directly from these countries will need to pay even more due to exchange rates. Algerians will pay nearly 2 million Algerian Dinars, and Senegalese will pay over 8 million CFA Francs.
Over 50 countries will be expected to abide by these bond rules to be admitted to the United States, including five that have qualified for the tournament. The Athletic explains that players aren’t even exempt from the rule, although FIFA is trying to get Trump to consider an exemption.
The 2026 Men’s FIFA World Cup is quickly shaping up to be one of the worst World Cups. Ever. From the exclusionary practices to the never-ending costs, all eyes will be on this one.