FIFA World Cup '26: News & Analysis

Indeed.
It would be nice to know the reasoning and the procedures of why they are not allowed in.

 

Colombian tourism to Miami is way up. I guess they do not mind political policies.

 

Am I the only one starting to worry about the atmosphere at World Cup games?

Between insane travel costs, soaring ticket prices, visa issues and bans, fears of ICE raids, the water bottle ban, social media password checks at the border, it’s starting to feel as if absolutely everything has been done to make the atmosphere at this World Cup as bad as possible.

Cheers to the supporters of all World Cup teams, particularly those from Middle Eastern and African countries, who will manage to make it to the stadiums. They deserve genuine respect.

 

Seems like most of the people in this thread think the sky is falling so you are not alone.

 

There'll be as good an atmosphere inside the stadiums as at any other World Cup.

And remember, before 1994 it wasn't normal for World Cup stadiums to sell out.

 

BTW, for this specifically, it's likely due to my country's government implementing new policies in mid-2025 to limit visa validity dates to a mere 3 months across categories (business, employment, tourism) for more than 50 countries. Example:

https://ng.usembassy.gov/revised-visa-reciprocity-policy-for-nigeria/

Absolutely idiotic, of course. I've encountered it in my career, where high-level professionals who have earned approval to work in the United States for multiple years face the possibility of getting trapped outside the U.S. if they decide to visit family in their home countries.

The list of 50+ countries targets certain areas of the world more than others, particularly sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia, and I think most people on here understand the animus that is driving this US policy.

 

Yeah, I partly agree with that. I don't fully subscribe to the idea that most diehard fans save up for 4 years ahead of the WC. Diehard fans follow the sport every day of every year, going to matches whenever they can.

But there are enough millionaires in the US/Canada to fill every seat of every game at this WC many times over, even if they just went to one match each. So yeah, the WC is going to look like a roaring success for those just happy to watch on TV, but for us - the core match-going fans - this is far from ideal.

 

The traveling England fans I know follow their local team domestically but spend all their vacation money following England overseas. They are "dedicated" England fans.

Based on my club's social media most fans might go to Wembley for an England match occasionally but only a handful go to every England match. There was a Notts County flag opposite the camera in Tampa.

 

Not defensive. Just know people and media are going overboard on the negativity when in reality it won’t be that bad.

 

Won't be that bad for who? Yes, the tickets will probably sell in sufficient number and most matches may end up sold out or close to it. And, yes, many teams will not be equally affected or prejudiced by the farcical manner the US is handling its obligations with respect to issuing visas for several other teams and officials and media that usually covers them. Or for their less wealth off fans. But many of the things that made international football, and the World Cup in particular, so attractive have already suffered in the process. My own view is that this World Cup would have definitely garnered a different (much better atmosphere) but for the policies and administration that is currently in charge in the US. I think you might reasonably find the 'trade off' to be 'worth it' (that is if this administration is your cup of tea) but I don't find it reasonable to suggest this tournament is being played out as one might ordinarily expect in terms of the treatment a Word Cup host offers various teams and their fans.

 

If you go back and read the post I was quoting initially the person was pessimistic about the atmosphere and other related issues.
It is not going to be as bad as people are saying it will be. The media always predicts calamity and it rarely ever happens that way at any World Cup.

 

Watching England at Wembley is mostly a miserable experience. For lots of reasons which people can guess. There are some that go to every match at Wembley but most just take in the occasional match.

England's support are mostly not wealthy. They will generally follow their local team home and away. Usually a small club. The equivalent at the big clubs spend all their money following their club side around Europe. Even following the big clubs home and away domestically is affordable for people on average wages if they prioritise it. Away tickets in the Premier League are capped at £30. These people absolutely save up for years to attend tournaments. It is very different to most US sport where prices are very high.

I've heard that flags over 2 metres in length are banned from the stadiums. I hope not as everyone looks out for their club written on flags.

 

I just want it to kick off now so that one side can tell the other "I told you so" and we can watch the football.

 

Define "not wealthy". Median household income in the UK is $50,000. Most people have at least one foreign vacation a year.

Football fans are from all walks of life. The average income of a Premier League fan is between $45 and $60k, depending where they're from.

 

One more example of the unsuitability of the US under it’s current regime to be a host of an international tournament.

 

Those figures are definitely not wealthy. I would double them for high income. The average full time wage is now just under £40k. The minimum wage is £12.71, which works out at about $30k for 35 hours per week.

Foreign holidays are very cheap from the UK. I know a persistently unemployed person that is in Turkey right now.

Here is a link showing how cheap some season tickets are in the Premier League. From before the end of the season but these are affordable for most, especially as clubs will spread payments over several months. Individual match tickets can be very expensive.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/premier-league-season-ticket-prices-37079851

 

That wouldn't get you too far in New York even in a 2-income household, though I realize NYC is an extreme example.

I read somewhere that if the UK was a state in the USA, it would have the 51st highest GDP per capita. Of course, that's a bit misleading because an American has to pay for literally everything out of pocket from school to health care to simply driving on a road. But at the same time, you can understand why hotels have relatively high vacancy rates during the WC and are lowering their prices significantly. If the UK is 51st, where's Spain? Or Ecuador?

 

£40k a year leaves you plenty of disposable income. You're not poor.

 

Horrible look on the United States as a World Cup host. They are done for while for the men's tournament

 

We can only hope that some kind of sanity returns to the US before it’s eligible to host again. Presumably the ‘28 Olympics are going to have similar issues.