The wait is over for the biggest ever with 48 teams, three host nations and a slew of questions and controversies swirling around the highly scrutinzed event that will last for
The tournament kicks off in Mexico City on Thursday amid concerns about and . There are unprecedented to staging a three-country event across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
All of that is separate from the on-field drama that will play out through the July 19 final as soccer’s top stars battle for the sport’s biggest prize.
鈥淭his will be the biggest, the most inclusive, the greatest FIFA World Cup ever,鈥� declared FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who has predicted 7 million fans will pack the stadiums and 6 billion more will be watching from afar. 鈥淔IFA is the official happiness provider for humanity.鈥�
That remains to be seen. The tournament kicks off in the U.S., which hosts the majority of the games, at a time of rising inflation, the war in Iran and the Trump administration’s
Political football (soccer)
President Trump has been a big supporter of the World Cup coming to America, at the White House and speaking in glowing terms about the tournament. Infantino has gone to great lengths to strengthen those relations, awarding Trump the inaugural last year after he was overlooked for the Nobel Prize.
There was also the Tiffany-crafted golden Club World Cup trophy, which sat in the Oval Office after America hosted the tournament last year. In an interview with broadcast DAZN, Trump said he asked FIFA when it would pick up the trophy. He was told: 鈥淵ou can have it forever in the Oval Office. We鈥檙e making a new one.鈥�
Six months have passed since a German soccer federation official said it was time to consider a because of Trump鈥檚 actions, which included . That was even before the United States and Israel launched military attacks on Iran, which has led to a surge in oil prices and destabilization in the Middle East.
It also raised questions about Iran’s participation in the World Cup. The team moved its from Tuscon, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico, called out visa hassles just a week before it opens play and arrived highlighting the victims of a on an elementary school at the start of the war.
A 鈥榤onumental betrayal鈥�
FIFA has come in for strategy for this World Cup, which was already considered
When tickets went on general sale in January they ranged from $140 to $8,680. While some have since been made available for less, others have risen significantly — Fans have accused the governing body of a 鈥渕onumental betrayal鈥�.
Resale prices are even higher on the secondary market, with FIFA’s own resale marketplace in April listing four tickets to the final for just under . While FIFA does not control prices on the site, it does take a 30% commission from each resale. Parking for games can cost as much as $175 and fans have been stunned by rising train fares, .
Infantino has defended ticket prices and said demand was equivalent to , adding that all 104 matches would be sold out.
A recent IPSOS poll, however, found that only 26% of Americans said they were 鈥渁t least somewhat excited鈥� about the World Cup and 7% were 鈥渆xtremely or very excited.鈥�
Meanwhile, room bookings have been lighter than expected in most of the 11 U.S. host cities, by the American Hotel & Lodging Association.
It鈥檚 going to be big
A super-sized tournament across three countries is and only time will tell if it works. For some, the quality of the event will seem diluted by expanding the format from 32 teams to 48 and creating room for debutants like tiny Curacao and Cape Verde.
Much of the jeopardy of the group stage has effectively been removed with elite teams largely separated. It means the real drama may be put on hold until the round of 16.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a balance to be struck between making sure the World Cup is genuinely representative, but it鈥檚 also meant to be a football tournament that determines who the best team in the world is,鈥� said Jonathan Wilson, author of The Power and the Glory: A New History of the World Cup.
It’s going to be hot
One thing FIFA cannot be blamed for is rising temperatures and during the games. Some of the sites 鈥� the Texas cities of Dallas and Houston, for example, though Kansas City and Atlanta are not immune 鈥� could see above 90 degrees F (32 C).
There will be safety measures such as hydration breaks for players and FIFA wound up changing its for the tournament鈥檚 16 stadiums across North America, including some with limited shade from the sun.
The GOATS, the underdogs and everything in between
Ultimately when it comes to the World Cup, the soccer eventually takes over and there are many potential storylines ahead.
Does Lionel Messi have at the World Cup at the age of 38 and in what is surely his final bow on this stage?
Can the 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo land the one major trophy that has eluded him in his record-breaking career?
Record five-time winner Brazil is out for its first title in more than 20 years and has turned to iconic Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti to try to end its drought.
England has put its faith in German Thomas Tuchel as it tries to end .
And what about led by Argentine coach Mauricio Pochettino? Can it pull off the biggest World Cup upset of all time on home soil?
鈥淚f you go into a tournament thinking, 鈥極h yeah, we have no chance of winning it,鈥� then what鈥檚 the point of even going? What鈥檚 the point of playing?鈥� U.S. captain Tim Ream told The AP. 鈥淗e (Pochettino) is not shy about speaking about that when we鈥檙e together… 鈥榃hy not us? Why can鈥檛 we do it?鈥�”
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