The World Cup hasn’t even started yet, but it’s already threatening to be overshadowed by off-field controversy.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has been the World Cup’s promoter in recent months, claiming we are about to witness “the biggest event in human history” and enjoy an “absolute party”. But unfortunately for him, most of the news headlines leading up to the tournament were negative.
The 2022 Qatar World Cup, which was moved from summer to winter, has been mired in human rights concerns over the migrant workers who made it possible, with questions over construction costs and environmental impact topping the controversy.
But the 2026 tournament, to be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico and to be held from June 11 to July 19, has already shown that the World Cup of the Infantino era is inherently linked to controversy. Here Mirror Football outlines the problems that produced the kind of build-up that FIFA certainly wanted to avoid.
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Iran
The first and most obvious problem arose when the United States and Israel decided to attack Iran on February 28th. With Iran qualifying for the World Cup and all three group stage matches scheduled to be played in the United States, FIFA was facing a serious political crisis.
Iran threatened to boycott the games after leader Ayatollah Khamenei was killed in an airstrike. And it has been suggested that Iran’s game could be moved to Mexico at short notice after Italy came forward as possible replacements.
Infantino had stressed throughout that Iran would play and everything would be fine, but President Trump issued a threatening statement saying, “I really don’t think it’s appropriate for them to be there for their own lives and safety.” The US president eventually gave a half-hearted blessing.
The Iranian team landed in Mexico on Sunday (Image: Mario Tama/Getty Images)
But with days left until the start of the tournament, the unrest continues with Iran furious at what it calls “the worst form of politically biased interference” after a significant number of the team’s backroom staff were denied visas. Iran accused the United States of “discrimination” after it was told it had to move its training base from Arizona to Mexico and the team would have to leave and leave the country on game day.
trump and infantino
The two protagonists were self-appointed long before the World Cup. Back in early December, Infantino presented Trump with the first FIFA Peace Prize in a bizarre ceremony. “This is what we look for in a leader,” Infantino said as he handed over the golden trophy. “Leaders who care about people. We want to live in a safe world and a safe environment.”
The award was quickly followed by a backlash, and months later, U.S. airstrikes on Iran sparked a broader conflict in the Middle East.
Both men have continued to be the target of ridicule for their public comments during the World Cup, with Infantino increasingly frustrated by his reluctance to even criticize his own decisions. The 56-year-old bureaucrat has steadfastly stuck to the party line without showing the slightest doubt.
Gianni Infantino presented the FIFA Peace Prize to Donald Trump in December (Image: Hector Vivas – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
Ticket confusion
One thing Infantino is certainly pushing is FIFA’s soaring profits. World football’s governing body is predicted to earn $13bn (£9.6bn) in the four years to 2026, a 72 per cent increase on the previous cycle. The reason behind such a sudden increase was clear once World Cup tickets went on sale.
Simply put, they are shockingly expensive and create a barrier for many fans who cannot afford to attend tournaments. FIFA’s “dynamic pricing” structure capitalized on demand for the more popular game, sparking an all-out backlash.
FIFA lowered some of the prices in response to the backlash, but Infantino stuck to his guns, defending the $2 million (£1.47 million) ticket that hit the resale market. However, the attorneys general of New York and New Jersey have launched formal investigations into allegations that fans were misled about tickets and sold tickets in the wrong category.
The World Cup will be costly for fans (Image: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
When asked about the $1,000 (about 73,600 yen) ticket price for the U.S. team’s first game, President Trump said, “Of course I want to go, but to be honest, I don’t want to pay.”
Accommodation, transportation and food costs are also prohibitively expensive in the United States, making it a bittersweet experience for people traveling to watch their teams play this summer.
intense heat
If supporters were worried about the impact of the heat on the World Cup, England’s friendly win over New Zealand in Tampa on Saturday made that clear. Players who played under the midday Florida sun were exposed to 32 degree heat and stifling humidity.
Manager Thomas Tuchel hopes his players will be able to adapt and be better able to cope when the tournament begins. But even with the best preparation through technology and sports science, weather conditions will be the single biggest factor shaping the World Cup.
A group of experts is extremely disappointed with FIFA’s approach to this issue and has written a letter calling for it to be taken more seriously. 14 of the 16 venues are expected to exceed limits that could be dangerous for athletes.
Hydration breaks are very necessary during tournaments (Image: Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
Professor Mike Tipton outlines concerns about mirror football, including heat stroke and hypothermia, but on the other end of the spectrum, less intense and less interesting football.
FIFA has introduced measures such as trying to avoid the hottest part of the day at problematic venues and requiring drinks breaks between each half, but experts believe a worrying incident could be just around the corner.
Environmental impact
This World Cup will be the most polluting tournament ever, with experts predicting it will generate more than 9 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e).
The distances between venues scattered across North America make air travel, the most polluting method, the only viable option. On the other hand, things looked even better as the number of teams increased from 32 to 48 and the number of matches from 64 to 108.
Meanwhile, FIFA’s decision to partner with Saudi Arabia’s state oil company Aramco will give a sponsorship platform to the third-biggest carbon emitter in history, after the former Soviet Union and Chinese coal, according to think tank Influence Map.
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