One Year to Go Until the 2026 World Cup: The U.S. Faces Challenges in Welcoming Millions of Fans

• One year to go until the 2026 World Cup
• Visa delays and immigration policies raise concerns.
• An estimated 6.5 million visitors are expected to attend the tournament.

As the United States prepares to be the primary host of the 2026 FIFA World Cup—co-hosted with Mexico and Canada—various uncertainties and challenges have emerged that test the event’s logistics and security, just 12 months before it kicks off.

Main concerns for the 2026 World Cup

• Delays and difficulties in obtaining visas.
  In key countries like Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, and Colombia, consular interview wait times can stretch for months. This is creating anxiety among Latin American fans hoping to travel and support their national teams.
• Restrictive immigration policy in the US and tense environment.
  The Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration, including raids and the deployment of the National Guard, has heightened concerns among the Latino community and foreign visitors.
• Dynamic ticket pricing.
  FIFA is considering a real-time demand-based pricing model, which could significantly increase prices for high-profile matches—especially if stars like Lionel Messi participate.
• Security and stadium organization.
  The chaotic scenes at the 2024 Copa América in Miami, which suffered from poor crowd control and access issues, have prompted US authorities to act to avoid similar mistakes in 2026.
• Replacement of artificial turf with natural grass.
  FIFA requires all matches to be played on natural grass. Therefore, seven of the eleven US stadiums—which currently have synthetic surfaces—must be modified to meet the requirement.

Political context and the FIFA–US alliance

• FIFA President Gianni Infantino maintains a close relationship with Donald Trump, which has helped secure resources and support for 2026 World Cup preparations.
• A task force led by Andrew Giuliani, son of former NYC mayor Rudy Giuliani, has been created to coordinate security, logistics, and mobility.
• However, political tensions with Mexico and Canada—as well as ongoing trade disputes and migration controls—are complicating coordination among the host nations.

 

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Impact on turnout and tournament expectations

• The 2026 World Cup is expected to attract around 6.5 million attendees, with most matches being played in the United States.
• Despite the growth of Major League Soccer and the “Messi Effect,” soccer enthusiasm is still not widespread in the US, with interest primarily concentrated in the Latino community.
• There is concern over slow ticket sales, partly attributed to fans’ fears surrounding immigration policies and difficulties in obtaining visas.

Key Statements

• Geoff Freeman, president of the US Travel Association, warned: “Visa wait times are extremely long in countries like Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, and Colombia.”
• JD Vance, Vice President of the United States, emphasized: The need for visitors to respect the duration of their visas and to support domestic tourism.
• David Goldblatt, a journalist specializing in football, noted: “US borders are currently a new and complicated landscape for travelers.”

Will the United States overcome these hurdles and deliver a successful World Cup?

With only one year to go, authorities are working to improve the experience, but it remains to be seen whether they will be able to resolve visa barriers, ticket pricing concerns, stadium safety, and inter-country coordination in time to deliver a memorable global event.

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