“The world will stand still, and the eyes of the world will be focused on North America,” the 56-year-old Swiss president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, said a few days ago from the United Nations headquarters in New York. With four days to go before the ball starts rolling, the three host countries — the United States, Mexico, and Canada — say they have everything ready. Or, more precisely, almost everything. The biggest soccer tournament in history — 48 national teams playing a total of 104 matches — takes place amid various circumstances that complicate organization: the United States remains at war with Iran, President Donald Trump’s strict immigration policies are frightening away many supporters, and FIFA’s dynamic-pricing ticket system has put seats out of reach for much of the fan base.
“78 Super Bowls in 38 days”
The United States has been preparing since 2018, when FIFA decided in a cold Moscow room that it would host the tournament together with its two North American neighbors. Since returning to the Oval Office, Trump has poured resources into ensuring that his close friend Infantino presents the World Cup as a success. But the world’s wealthiest country does not have a deep passion for soccer. Americans are more focused on the NBA finals, between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs, than on the tournament’s opening — soccer remains a minority sport in the U.S., where baseball, NFL, basketball and even ice hockey have greater followings.
To make matters worse, the White House also appears more engaged in the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States’ independence from the British crown in 1776, which takes place on Saturday, July 4 — when the World Cup’s round-of-16 matches will be underway.
The major issue surrounding the World Cup will be security and the role of ICE, the U.S. immigration agency. U.S. authorities have threatened to deploy agents around stadiums and carry out raids to detain immigrants without proper documentation. Trump’s aggressive immigration policy has drawn harsh criticism from various sectors over the brutality and impunity of these agents, who have deported nearly 600,000 people in the past year.
More than 100 nonprofit organizations have recently protested to warn visitors about “serious human rights violations” occurring in the country. immigrant-rights groups are mobilizing: in Los Angeles, the hospitality union representing more than 2,000 workers and present at SoFi Stadium — which will host eight World Cup matches — is considering striking if immigration agents are spotted around the stadium. In Miami, Atlanta, Seattle, Philadelphia, and other cities, groups are preparing activities in response to ICE abuses. Nearly two-thirds of Americans — 65% — oppose immigration agents patrolling stadiums during this summer’s World Cup, according to a poll published this week by The Washington Post.
The competition is also being held under heavy security measures. The United States is engaged in a war with Iran, whose national team, incidentally, will have to travel to Los Angeles and Seattle for its three group-stage matches. And although the White House says it will issue visas for the athletes, the Iranian delegation has not yet received authorization to travel.
In addition, the war has driven up inflation, with gasoline prices at highs not seen since the start of the war in Ukraine. U.S. household budgets are strained by rising prices, and many view a competition they don’t fully understand with skepticism.
Beyond concerns over visa processing, security, and rising travel, accommodation and ticket costs, limited access to public transportation in some host cities adds to uncertainty about World Cup logistics. Getting to stadiums will be expensive and chaotic. Some cities lack subway or commuter-rail connections. Bus services are scarce and suffer frequent disruptions. Although all cities have bolstered transport services, authorities recommend planning journeys in advance.
Still, there are cities where hotel room quotas have not been filled, many tickets remain unsold for lower-interest matches, and travel bookings suggest fewer visitors may arrive than expected — a prospect that has organizers, who raised expectations for the world’s biggest sporting event — on edge.
Federal and state authorities have worked hard to have everything ready. But the political climate has not helped. Differences between the two major parties kept the Department of Homeland Security — which oversees national security, airports, ports and more — effectively closed and unable to spend for nearly six weeks. That congressional impasse, from February to April, caused delays in planning airport security and immigration screening for visitors.
Despite that, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said this week his department will be ready for the unprecedented security operation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. “We are going to be prepared and we’re working every single day on it and we’re locking down stadiums with sweeps, we’re pushing out perimeters, we’re killing choke points, creating traffic control,” he said at a Capitol Hill hearing. Mullin, who has been in office for barely three months and has acknowledged he has never watched a soccer match, said he is coordinating with the states and with the 11 U.S. host cities. “We have 78 Super Bowls in 38 days, and hopefully we’ll pull it off with complete safety.”
Mexico pushes preparations to the last minute
Like its northern neighbor, security is one of the challenges facing President Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration and the governments of the three Mexican host cities. Just four months ago, the army killed El Mencho, the world’s most-wanted criminal, and the globe looked at Mexico with distrust because of the ensuing violence and cartel roadblocks, especially in Guadalajara, which will host four World Cup matches.
Mexico responded with Plan Kukulkán, a World Cup–specific strategy led by Secretary of Security Omar García Harfuch that deploys 100,000 police and military personnel, aircraft and anti-drone systems to protect stadiums, hotels, airports and fan zones “from any threat.” Homicide figures have fallen by half under the current administration, while operations against and arrests of cartel leaders continue. “From my side, and on behalf of FIFA, there is absolute confidence in President Sheinbaum; we are in regular contact with the presidency and the authorities, and we continue to follow the situation. The World Cup will be an incredible celebration,” Infantino said after El Mencho’s death.
FIFA, however, has acknowledged concerns about mobility in Guadalajara, Monterrey, and Mexico City. The three cities suffer serious traffic problems and conflicts over the use of ride-hailing apps at airports. Works to connect air travelers with the cities are being rushed or have been postponed until after the World Cup.
Mexico City, with 21 million people in its metropolitan area, is the most strained. In connectivity terms it is easy to move by public transport, but deterioration and overcrowding complicate operations. Mayor Clara Brugada’s government has focused on bike lanes and last-minute improvements. But the real strategy is to keep people at home on match days: classes have been suspended and Brugada has asked public and private employers to promote remote work. Mobility plans for the opening game this Thursday include closing major roads and using FIFA’s special transport to move attendees to the Estadio Azteca. The first trial was staged during the stadium’s reopening for Mexico’s friendly against Portugal, when only local residents could access the vicinity on foot or by car.
The weather and possible protests do not help. The short World Cup period will coincide with the rainy season, which last year caused severe flooding in some states. In the past week, the National Union of Education Workers has staged nonstop protests across the city demanding better pay and pensions. All kinds of organizations and collectives have also warned they may impose blockades: relatives of the disappeared, transport workers, students, and sex workers. Governments and organizers have said they will respect the right to protest, while expressing confidence that agreements can be reached.
All of the above comes at a time when Mexico–U.S. relations are at their worst under Sheinbaum and Trump. The deaths of two CIA agents on Mexican soil, and the U.S. accusation against nine Sinaloa officials of collusion with drug cartels, have sparked a crossfire of actions and statements. Former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador — who said he would only leave political retirement in cases of threats to national sovereignty — published a letter criticizing U.S. interference and strongly questioning Trump’s pressure on Mexico under the banner of fighting “narco-terrorism” and illegal migration. The photograph that will symbolize the state of relations among the three host countries will probably be taken at the opening match: it will be the first time the World Cup opening ceremony has been held without the presence of all the heads of state involved.
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