Security Concerns and Ticketโข Access โMark Preparations โfor the 2026 Worldโข Cup in the U.S.
As the United States prepares to co-host theโฃ 2026 FIFA World Cup with โCanada and Mexico, officials are addressing potential challenges related to security and accessibility for fans. Concerns have been raised about potential difficulties for international fans โattending matches, coupled with the highโข cost โฃof tickets.
White House envoy for the World โCup,Rudy Giuliani,emphasized aโ stringent security approach,stating,”Every visaโ decision is โขa national security decision first and foremostโฆ And it’s theโ president’s goal first โฃand foremost every day to make sure that he โcan not just protect American citizensโ that areโ here,but all of those for theโ Worldโข Cup,international travelers,that are here.” Giuliani affirmedโฃ a “zero tolerance” policy forโ anyone intending to cause trouble, promising thorough vetting of all international travelers. He pointed to lessons โlearned from past events,โ including the 1994 Worldโฃ cup and the 2002 Winter Olympics, as well as ongoing analysis ofโ security measures implemented at โeventsโ like the recent World Cup in Qatar โand the 2024 Euros in โคgermany, utilizing resources like the International Police Cooperation Center.
the scale of the 2026 tournament is significantly larger than previous iterations. the 2026 World Cup will feature 48 teams -โข double the 24 teams that participated inโฃ the 1994 U.S.-hosted tournament – and involve three host countries: Canada, mexico,โ and theโ United States. Giuliani described the event as “the โคlargest sporting event in human โฃhistory,”โ marking the first time anโข entire continent has collaborated to host the World Cup.
Alongsideโค security, ticket prices are a key concern. While group โstage tickets begin around $60, โfinal tickets can reach upwardsโ of $6,750, influenced by FIFA’s previously utilized “dynamic โpricing” system.New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has already urged FIFA โto reduce ticket costs for residents of โhost cities.
Responding to these concerns, FIFA has decided to limit โฃthe use of dynamic pricing. The association will reserve 8% of tickets for each match featuring a competing national team for supporters affiliated with thatโฃ team’sโ national federation, โฃsold โฃat fixed prices. The pricing for remaining tickets will still โคbe determinedโค by demand.
Giuliani also highlightedโ the increasing global popularityโ ofโฃ soccer,โข noting a dramatic rise in viewership. While World Cup finals โin โคthe 1990s andโค early 2000sโค drew “high hundreds of millions” of viewers, the Qatar 2022 final reached 1.5 billion, withโ expectations for the 2026 final possibly exceeding twoโข billionโข viewers. He added that โคsoccer’s growth โinโ the โUnited States has been โnotably meaningful.
