A World Cup Under Pressure: How American Politics Could Shape FIFA 2026

20 January 2026

Paul Francis

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The FIFA World Cup is meant to be football’s great unifier. Every four years, politics is supposed to fade into the background as supporters cross borders to follow their teams. Yet as the 2026 tournament approaches, concerns are growing that the political climate in the United States may be doing the opposite.

Soccer ball with US flag design on grass field in stadium. Blurred crowd and scoreboard in background. Bright, sunny atmosphere.

Recent comments and policy signals from President Donald Trump have reignited anxieties among fans, organisers and civil rights groups. While football itself remains as popular as ever, the environment surrounding the tournament is becoming increasingly complicated, raising questions about travel, ticket sales and whether the world’s biggest sporting event can truly remain separate from domestic politics.

Politics enters the picture again

Donald Trump’s return to the centre of American politics has brought renewed focus on immigration, border enforcement and national security. His language around immigration has hardened, and his administration has signalled a tougher stance on visas and border controls. For many international football supporters, particularly those travelling from Europe, Africa and South America, this has raised uncomfortable questions.

Online, concerns have circulated about the visibility of immigration enforcement agencies and the risk of being caught up in aggressive border or visa checks. While some of these fears are undoubtedly amplified by social media, they are not appearing in a vacuum. Advocacy groups have formally raised concerns with FIFA about whether fans from certain regions will face additional scrutiny or barriers when travelling to the United States.

For some supporters, the idea of spending thousands of pounds on tickets and travel only to face uncertainty at the border is enough to pause or reconsider plans. It is here that the politics of Captain Orange begin to intersect directly with football.

Are ticket sales really struggling?

The picture around ticket sales is mixed and often misunderstood. FIFA has reported extremely strong global demand across several ticket application phases, with millions of requests submitted worldwide. On paper, this suggests the tournament is not in danger of empty stadiums.

However, critics point to a different issue. While demand exists, actual purchases appear uneven, especially at the higher price points. There have been persistent reports of slower sales for certain matches and categories, particularly among travelling supporters who are weighing cost against political and logistical risk.

In other words, the concern is not a lack of interest in football. It is hesitation. Fans are watching, waiting and calculating whether the experience will justify the expense and uncertainty.

The cost of attending the World Cup

Price is one of the most significant factors shaping that calculation. The 2026 World Cup is shaping up to be one of the most expensive in history.

The cheapest group stage tickets have been priced at around sixty dollars, but these are limited and often difficult to secure. More realistic prices for popular group matches run into the hundreds, with premium seats climbing well above two thousand dollars.

Knockout rounds are another level entirely. Quarter final and semi final tickets can cost several thousand dollars, while premium seats for the final in New Jersey have been listed at over six thousand dollars at face value. On secondary markets, prices can climb even higher.

For many fans, particularly from Europe and South America, these figures sit alongside the cost of long haul flights, accommodation and internal travel across a vast host country. The result is a World Cup that feels financially distant from the traditional supporter.

Travel, visas and fear of uncertainty

Beyond cost, travel logistics are adding another layer of anxiety. The United States is hosting the majority of matches across a geographically enormous area. Fans may need to fly thousands of miles between cities, navigate unfamiliar transport systems and deal with complex visa requirements.

Recent tightening of visa rules and public rhetoric around immigration enforcement have not helped perceptions. Reports of fans from African nations struggling with visa delays or rejections have circulated widely, even if they do not represent the majority experience.

The problem is not necessarily policy itself, but uncertainty. When supporters feel unclear about how they will be treated on arrival, or whether rules may change suddenly, confidence erodes.

Other pressures on the tournament

The political environment is only one of several pressures facing the 2026 World Cup. Stadium readiness, security planning, climate concerns and the sheer scale of the expanded tournament all present challenges.

The United States is not a traditional football nation in the way Europe or South America is. While interest has grown rapidly, there are still questions about atmosphere, cultural familiarity and whether the event will feel like a World Cup rather than a series of high end entertainment events.

There is also a growing debate about whether FIFA’s commercial strategy is distancing the tournament from its roots. High prices, premium experiences and corporate packages may deliver revenue, but they risk sidelining the fans who give the World Cup its character.

A tournament caught between sport and state

None of this means the 2026 World Cup is doomed. Far from it. The global appetite for football remains immense, and millions will watch and attend regardless of political context. But it does suggest that the tournament is unusually exposed to forces beyond the pitch.

When the host nation’s political leadership becomes a source of anxiety rather than reassurance, it inevitably shapes perception. When attending feels like a financial gamble layered with political risk, some supporters will hesitate.

The World Cup has always existed within the world it inhabits. In 2026, that world includes heightened political tension, polarised leadership and rising costs. Whether football can rise above those pressures, or whether they will leave a lasting mark on the tournament, remains one of the most important unanswered questions heading into kick off.

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The Cost of Watching the Premier League in the UK

Gregory Devine
Nov 8, 2023
3 min read

If there’s one thing Britain does well, it's sport. Most of the world's most popular sports were created in Britain. We have such a rich sporting history that we really should be proud of yet watching sport is so expensive. I’m not just talking about going to the stadium but also watching on the TV.

The Premier League is the world's best domestic football league. The standard is out of this world. Even smaller teams like Luton Town have some brilliant players and have more than held themselves in the league. But watching the Premier League is far too expensive. Football was always a game for the working class yet they’re being priced out of watching their team whether that be in person or at home. To legally watch Premier League football at home you’d need not one but two broadcast packages. Most of the games are on Sky Sports but some are also on TNT Sport (previously known as BT Sport). Sky Sports starts at £37 per month, a truly ridiculous amount of money. The price of TNT Sport depends. If you have BT Broadband it's £18 per month on top of your package for everyone else it's usually £29.99 but Sky and Virgin can change the price should they wish. That means you’d be paying essentially £67 to legally watch the premier league games available in the UK. There’s also the odd Amazon Prime week where all midweek fixtures are shown on Amazon instead, that’s another £8.99pm to factor in.

That price shows no value for money and really does “take the mickey” out of UK football fans. For that amount of money, you’d at minimum expect to be able to watch every game but that’s not the case. When football was first being televised fans and clubs were sceptical. There were worries it would cause attendance at games to drop. A law was passed to counteract the potential of falling attendance due to televised games. Any game on a Saturday that kicks off at 3 pm cannot be shown legally in the UK. Other countries can watch the game, however, through whichever broadcaster provides it in that country.

There’s no wonder so many people turn to illegally streaming Premier League football. The “dodgy” fire stick has become a very common occurrence. Whilst I don’t own one myself I do know plenty of people that do. When you can pay the same amount for a yearly subscription on these cracked fire sticks as you would do monthly to do it legally then why would you spend so much extra money? Whilst illegally streaming games is definitely against the law there is another way to watch the Premier League that is more of a grey area than against the law. Other countries' streaming services offer prices that are much better value for money.

Over in the US the streaming service ‘Peacock’ shows most premier league games. At around $6 a month, this is a very cheap streaming service, especially when compared to other platforms like Netflix. Whilst you can’t buy a peacock subscription in the UK there is a way to legally purchase Peacock. You can use a VPN (virtual private network) to make your device believe it's in a different country. Should you set your VPN to the US then you’ll be able to subscribe to Peacock and watch more premier league games than you would be able to by spending the full £67 on Sky Sports and TNT Sports. This isn’t against the law. VPNs are legal and many cyber security experts would tell you to purchase one regardless of using it to watch sports but more for online security.

There are talks the premier league may eventually move away from traditional cable operators like Sky and create its own streaming platform. With the extraordinary prices Sky and TNT charge UK customers, this really needs to happen sooner rather than later. Whilst the premier league is a fantastic, modern and innovative league, its TV broadcasters are the opposite, providing the bare minimum for as much money as possible. It doesn’t suit football. This is supposed to be a working class sport yet fans are priced out of not only the stadium but also watching it at home.