The 2026 FIFA World Cup, being co-hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the US and having kicked off on June 12, is the first time as many as 48 nations are participating in the global spectacle.
Hosting such a huge tournament is no mean feat, and difficulties were bound to arise. There have been several noteworthy issues, with security concerns, visa delays and denials, and discriminatory treatment of teams peppering the news. Coupled with these issues, we have also witnessed some highly competitive football, hordes of fans setting the tournament alight, and some wonderful underdog stories.
Here, we take a look at the good, the bad, and the ugly bits of the 2026 FIFA World Cup thus far.
The good
- There was a lot of doubt over an extended format that includes 48 teams as opposed to the initial 32 teams. But it has allowed more nations to participate, leading to diverse representation on the global stage. New football cultures have been unveiled, and teams who had long been missing from the World Cup have been given the opportunity to proudly represent their nation once again, while some lesser-known nations like Curaçao, Uzbekistan, Jordan, and Cape Verde are participating at the World Cup for the very first time, which is an experience of a lifetime.
- Since football isn’t as popular in North America as it is in South America and Europe, there was concern over whether fans would show up in huge numbers. But it has been a pleasant surprise. There had also been concerns regarding the pitches, but things have been good thus far, and the stadiums have looked beautiful as well. There has also been a reasonable turnout of supporters to back their teams, even for games involving lesser-known teams.
- We have also been able to witness some iconic stadiums, like the Estadio Azteca in Mexico, which is hosting its third World Cup. It provided an incredible environment and vibe with its Latin American celebrations at the grand opening ceremony. It featured traditional papel picado designs along with a massive crowd that induced goosebumps with its energy during the opening game.
- The matches so far have been really competitive, with the underdogs showing a lot of passion and fighting against the bigger teams. Special mention is warranted for Asian teams like South Korea, Japan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Iran, who have improved their level to a huge extent and are giving the big European and South American teams a tough fight. Even newcomers like Cape Verde have written their own chapter in the football history books by earning a fighting draw against title contenders Spain, thereby earning their first-ever point at the World Cup.
- Those who watch the big leagues like the Premier League and LaLiga will know how many erroneous and controversial refereeing decisions happen every week. The impact has been so massive that it has also led to teams missing out on titles, European football, and even survival. However, at this World Cup the refereeing has been on point for the most part, and games have been fairly officiated. The experienced referees chosen for the games have done a great job so far. One hopes we get to see fairly contested matches throughout the tournament without massive refereeing blunders affecting the results.
The bad
- Coming into the tournament, there have been several instances of players, referees, and even fans from certain nations facing a lot of struggles to secure a visa to enter the US. Certain players’ arrivals were delayed due to their visas not being approved on time, which led to them missing the initial warm-up games and training sessions. An experienced and respected Somali referee, Omar Artan, as well as several staff members of the Iranian team, were denied entry into the US. Iraq striker Aymen Hussein was questioned for hours upon his arrival in Chicago, while teams such as Senegal and Uzbekistan faced aggressive security screenings, with many other teams being cleared with minimal checks, pointing towards clear discriminatory behaviour.
- The World Cup is a global tournament followed by millions all over the world, and since it’s a quadrennial event, fans from home and abroad like to throng the stadiums to watch their favourite teams. However, the extreme pricing of tickets and the transportation costs have been made so exorbitant that they have priced out many fans. When the proposed bid was made, the hosts had offered average ticket prices at the rate of US$21, but the cheapest ticket has been priced at US$60. The face-value tickets for early group stage matches range from US$140 to US$3,500, going well over US$10,000 as the tournament progresses. In some major cities like New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Boston, and Miami, the cheapest tickets could range between US$700 and US$1,200. Even the transportation cost is mind-boggling. Case in point, trains in New Jersey that will take fans to New York New Jersey Stadium through NJ Transit will require tickets costing a whopping US$150 for one round trip. These tickets are also limited and can only be purchased in advance. Even shuttle buses are charging US$80 for one round trip.
- Another notable aspect has been the criticism of the carbon footprint of this tournament. Since the tournament is being played across three countries, it will entail a lot of travelling. Transporting 48 teams across three countries for 104 matches will require a lot of air travel, and even travel by bus or train will involve a lot of fuel usage, resulting in a massive carbon footprint. This has irked a lot of environmentalists, who believe that there was no need for the extended format.
- The mandatory “Hydration Breaks” during games have also invited a lot of criticism from viewers, players, and pundits alike. They would make sense if the teams were playing in intensely hot and humid conditions, which is often the case, but it feels like these breaks have been designed so that the broadcasters can air more commercials regardless of whether players need a reprieve from the heat.
The ugly
- Due to the ongoing conflict between the US and Iran, there have been a lot of issues faced specifically by the Iranian team. Initially, Iran decided to boycott the 2026 World Cup. However, taking into account how much hard work it took for their team to qualify for the tournament, as well as encouragement to participate from elsewhere, they sought assurances from the US government regarding their players’ security. US President Donald Trump then posted on social media stating that his administration could not provide any such guarantee, after which FIFA intervened. Iran’s base was then relocated to Mexico, but since all their group stage games are scheduled in the US, they have been asked to travel back to Mexico right after their games, leading to further fatigue and other issues due to long travel hours and even less recovery time.
- Players’ security has also been at risk in both the US and Mexico. There was a recent report regarding gun violence near England’s World Cup base in Missouri; nine people were injured in the incident. The USA has been notorious for gun violence, with 2025 alone witnessing more than 400 shootings across the country. Even Mexico has witnessed narco-violence in recent months, with the Jalisco cartel putting up roadblocks and burning vehicles in Guadalajara after the killing of their leader, “El Mencho”, in a police operation. These shootings and disturbances are a massive threat to the participating teams, their players, staff, and visiting fans.
- Prior to the World Cup, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) grabbed a lot of limelight due to mass deportations and unfair treatment of immigrants. The Trump administration’s push for the same also raised concerns over the treatment of the World Cup’s international audience. Neither FIFA nor the US government provided satisfactory assurances that fans — both local and foreign — won’t be treated unfairly, and that US officials will refrain from ethnic or racial profiling or unlawful detention or deportation.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that the USA has ensured that the World Cup matches are being played in top-quality, visually aesthetic stadiums with fans filling them in reasonable numbers and cheering their teams. However, there are pressing matters being completely ignored by the host nations and FIFA, whose President, Gianni Infantino, has issued vague responses when asked about the visa denial issues. The same FIFA didn’t hesitate for a second in stripping Indonesia of hosting the Under-20 World Cup in 2023 when they refused entry to the Israeli U-20 team; it seems there are different rules for different countries.
FIFA’s earlier stance on the World Cup hosts being welcoming is proving to be an inaccurate presumption. In contrast, Qatar and Russia were far more welcoming, and yet both nations understandably received a lot of flak from many sections of the foreign media and even players. The treatment of some nations’ players during security checks was abominable, and treating them differently to others is proof of discrimination. If football is a global sport, and the tournament has been extended to 48 teams in order to invite more participation, what kind of a mixed message is this sending to the global audience?
The World Cup should be a celebration of the coming together of different styles of football, cultures, and fans, and although the matches have been highly competitive so far, with exceptional refereeing standards being maintained, the off-the-pitch noise has taken centre stage and drowned out all the positive vibes of the tournament.
We sincerely hope that FIFA takes note of these issues and ensures that such scenarios do not arise in future World Cup editions, or it will gradually start to lose its status as one of the most prestigious and highly anticipated tournaments in the world.