FIFA World Cup promises long travels and high costs for fans

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be held for the first time across three countries: the United States, Canada, and Mexico, from June 11 to July 19, 2026.

The host cities are spread across North America, creating long travel distances – from Mexico City in Mexico to Vancouver in Canada, a stretch of roughly 4,000 kilometers. For fans, this means high costs for tickets, flights, and accommodation, CE Report quotes ATA.

The 2026 edition will be the 23rd men’s World Cup organized by FIFA.

It will also be the first tournament to feature 48 teams, instead of the 32 that had been standard since 1998.

The opening match will take place on June 11, 2026, at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, with the host nation playing. This historic stadium will become the first to host a World Cup opening match for the third time, after the 1970 and 1986 editions.

The tournament will be held across 16 cities in the three host countries.

It will set records in every respect: 48 participating teams, 104 matches, and a duration of five and a half weeks, from June 11 to July 19, 2026.

The final is scheduled to take place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA.

Although most matches will be played in the United States, local public interest in the year’s biggest football event remains low. The opposite is true in the political arena, where the tournament is seen as a major opportunity. The close relationship between U.S. President Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino has raised concerns about potential political exploitation of the World Cup.

From a sporting perspective, it remains unclear whether the expanded tournament will increase quality. There are doubts that the group stage may feature predictable matches with lopsided results, as many teams are not expected to be competitive against football “superpowers.”