Securityโค Measuresโค and ticket Access for the 2026 World Cup
The White House is prioritizing national security as preparationsโค continue for the 2026 World Cup, which โคwill be jointly hosted by the United states,โ Canada, and Mexico. Officials have not ruled outโค potential visa limitations for citizens of certain countries, building โon existing restrictions affecting nationals from 19 “third world” countries. Currently, fans from โIran and haiti, both with teams qualified for โtheโ final phase, are anticipated to face limitations.
The focusโ of these โpotential restrictionsโฃ isโ ensuring the safety of both American citizens and international โฃtravelers attending the event. According to โWhite House statements, everyโข visa decision is viewed through a national security lens, and there will be “very limited tolerance” for anyone attempting to cause problems. Security planning is drawing on lessonsโฃ learned from previous major international events, including the 1994 โWorld Cup held in the US, โthe 2002 Olympic Games, and recent World Cup hosting experiences like Qatar, as well as insights from organizations like the โInternational Center for โPolice Cooperationโ and the 2024 euro Cup in Germany.
Access to the World Cup will also be impacted by โฃticket pricing. Tickets forโข the group stage will start at $60, while final match tickets could reach $6,750 or more โฃdue to FIFA‘s “dynamic pricing” system. New york City Mayor โZohran Mamdani has appealed to FIFA to lower โคticket prices for local residents in hostโฃ cities.
In response, FIFA has decided to limit the widespread use of dynamic pricing and will reserve 8% of tickets for each match for fans of the competing federations at fixed โprices. The remaining tickets will be โsubject to โdemand-based pricing.
The 2026 World Cup will be substantially larger than the 1994 event, featuring โฃ48 teams (compared to 24 in 1994) and encompassing three host countries. Organizers anticipate a global audience ofโฃ approximatelyโ 2โข billion viewers for the final โคmatch, โreflecting the growing popularity of soccer both in the United States and worldwide – a โคviewership thatโ hasโ increased from hundreds of โmillions in the 1990s and early 2000s to 1.5 billion currently.
