The 2026 FIFA World Cup officially kicked off on June 11 at Mexico City's Azteca Stadium, where Mexico hosted South Africa in the opening match of the expanded tournament featuring 48 teams competing in 104 matches across 16 stadiums in the US, Canada, and Mexico [1, 2, 3, 4]. The United States will host 78 of those matches.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino called it "the biggest, the most inclusive, the greatest FIFA World Cup ever," expecting 7 million fans in stadiums and 6 billion viewers worldwide [1, 3]. Meanwhile, record-high ticket prices have drawn widespread attention and criticism. The cheapest ticket for the final in the US started around $2,030 — about 10 times higher than the cheapest 2022 World Cup final ticket price of $206 in Qatar [5, 4]. Group stage tickets average $400 compared to under $100 in the previous World Cup, with opening match tickets ranging from $560 to $2,735 [4]. FIFA implemented dynamic ticket pricing based on demand for the first time, which some say lacks transparency and fairness [4].
Security is a massive operation entailing unprecedented coordination. FBI Director Kash Patel said, "It's a huge lift, probably the biggest lift in FBI history, in American history." Counter-drone training has been provided to 70 local police agencies, while players and personnel have undergone background screening—about 300,000 individuals screened so far. Patel noted drones pose "one of the biggest ways that people who want to conduct adversarial attacks can effectuate them cheaply and from a distance" [2].
The tournament takes place amid geopolitical tension, including an ongoing conflict between the US and Iran, a participant country. There are hopes the World Cup may encourage ceasefires or peace moves [1, 3]. Visa restrictions and US immigration policies under the Trump administration have prevented some fans, officials, and referees from attending, sparking controversy over inclusivity [1, 3, 6]. Social and political tensions have also surfaced with protests in Mexico and trade frictions between the host nations coinciding with ongoing trade negotiations [1, 3].
Economically, the World Cup is projected to generate nearly $41 billion in global economic output, with FIFA expecting record revenues near $11 billion. Other estimates put FIFA’s four-year revenue cycle at $13 billion and the US GDP impact at $17.2 billion [7, 8]. High-profile players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, who earned $235 million last year and is worth roughly $1.2 billion, are competing amid intense commercial and political scrutiny [8]. Some experts worry that these rising issues threaten the traditional spirit of football during the tournament [9, 10].
Investigations have begun in New York and New Jersey into FIFA ticketing practices for the World Cup final after the price categories for opening match tickets were announced June 10 [4]. Security operations and match schedules continue intensively as the tournament progresses across North America.
