<\/div>\nThen there are the matches themselves, which are being held across the height of the North American summer.<\/p>\n
Last year\u2019s Club World Cup, which was effectively a test event for the real deal, saw games played in temperatures between 32 and 39 degrees celsius – which is dangerous for even the world\u2019s best athletes.<\/p>\n
Climate change will only make summer sports even riskier in the coming years and even FIFA\u2019s attempt to counter this concern has come under fire.<\/p>\n
Three-minute hydration breaks will be held in every half, allowing players to rest but also giving broadcasters a chance to insert additional ad breaks during games – always a concern for football broadcasters given the sport\u2019s flowing nature.<\/p>\n
The nature of a tournament being held across three large countries – the US, Mexico and Canada – has also sparked concerns about the environmental impact of all of the travel involved.<\/p>\n
However this will be dwarfed by the 2030 World Cup, which is being held across Morocco, Portugal and Spain, with games also played in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay – if you haven\u2019t looked at a map recently, the entire Atlantic Ocean sits between the former and latter groups.<\/p>\n<\/amp-img>Curacao training session before heading out to the United States to participate in their first ever FIFA World Cup. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos\/Getty Images)<\/span>Source: Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nTICKET PRICES<\/b><\/p>\n
The controversial \u2018dynamic pricing\u2019 model, where companies raise prices based on market demand rather than setting firm figures, has seen tickets become almost impossible to afford for many fans – both locals and those travelling.<\/p>\n
In March, the Football Supporters Europe (FSE) group filed a lawsuit with the European Commission targeting FIFA over their \u201cmonopoly over ticket sales\u201d.<\/p>\n
At the time the cheapest available tickets for the final were an absurd $6000, seven times above the cheapest 2022 final tickets.<\/p>\n
FSE said the North American bid team had initially promised tickets would be available from as little as US$21 (AU$30), but instead the cheapest tickets to go on sale have been for US$60 (AU$86), for example for the Group J opener between Austria and Jordan at the Levi\u2019s Stadium in California.<\/p>\n
Most tickets cost at least $200 (AU$287) for matches involving leading nations.<\/p>\n
FIFA president Gianni Infantino insists ticket prices are simply a consequence of the huge demand.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the US in particular there is this thing called dynamic pricing, meaning the prices will go up or down\u201d, depending on the match in question, Infantino has said.<\/p>\n
<\/amp-ima-video><\/p>\nPopovic explains Volpato IN, Boyle OUT | 07:39<\/p>\n
<\/div>\nFSE said the problem with \u2018dynamic pricing\u2019 was there was no limit to how high the prices can go.<\/p>\n
\u201cFIFA used \u2018variable pricing\u2019, or dynamic pricing, with no cap and no transparency on how prices are set,\u201d it said in the statement.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome tickets rose 25 per cent between sales phases. Fans had no clear way of knowing the final price before joining the queue.\u201d<\/p>\n
Having faced sustained criticism over prices, FIFA announced a cheaper category of tickets priced at $60, but they were reserved for fans of qualified teams and would make up just 10 percent of each national federation\u2019s allotment.<\/p>\n
\u201cFIFA repeatedly advertised $60 group-stage tickets,\u201d FSE said. \u201cIn practice they were so scarce that the entire Category 4 inventory was practically sold out before general public sales opened.\u201d<\/p>\n
The variable pricing clearly isn\u2019t working with Saudi Arabia set to hand free tickets out to American-based supporters for its games against Cape Verde, Uruguay and Spain.<\/p>\n
<\/amp-ima-video><\/p>\nSocceroos ‘need to be fearless’ | 02:56<\/p>\n
<\/div>\nLast week New York and New Jersey, the hosts of eight World Cup matches including the final, announced they had subpoenaed FIFA over the high prices with claims fans were misled about seat locations.<\/p>\n
\u201cNew Yorkers have been waiting years for the World Cup to come to their backyard, and they deserve a fair shot at affordable tickets,\u201d New York Attorney-General Letitia James said in a statement.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo one should be manipulated into paying sky-high prices for seats, and fans should be able to trust that the tickets they purchased will be the ones they receive.\u201d<\/p>\n
New Jersey Attorney-General Jennifer Davenport added: \u201cBeing honest about ticket sales is not complicated.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut FIFA has turned buying a ticket to the World Cup into a gauntlet of confusion, fake scarcity and impossibly high prices.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is an honour to host the World Cup, but the event is not an invitation to exploit our residents and visitors.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/amp-img>A contractor works preparing the New York New Jersey Stadium (temporarily renamed from MetLife Stadium) ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on May 29, 2026. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS \/ AFP)<\/span>Source: AFP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nTHE USA<\/b><\/p>\n
FIFA has very much leant into the current controversial US government, with Gianni Infantino cosying up heavily with Donald Trump.<\/p>\n
The draw ceremony, for example, was held in Washington DC and spent a lengthy period honouring Trump with the first (and only) FIFA Peace Prize – a decision widely criticised by human rights groups, with some suggesting it was playing into Trump\u2019s disappointment in not being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.<\/p>\n
But it\u2019s the immigration policies of Trump\u2019s government which have caused the most concern with groups like Amnesty International calling on FIFA to ensure fans would be safe, especially after the aggressive immigration enforcement operations of late 2025\/early 2026.<\/p>\n
In particular many fans who have immigrated to the US are fearful they\u2019ll be targeted while attending their nation\u2019s matches – notably fans of Haiti, who have qualified for the first time since 1974.<\/p>\n
<\/amp-ima-video><\/p>\nSocceroos rue missed chances vs. Mexico | 02:30<\/p>\n
<\/div>\nAn estimated 850,000 Haitians live in the US with Emile, a truck driver from Ohio, among those who have temporary protected status – something Trump wants to remove.<\/p>\n
\u201cSinging my country\u2019s national anthem in a stadium in front of the whole world is a historic moment that no one would want to miss,\u201d Emile told AFP.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut at the same time, I think twice. I don\u2019t want to be arrested by ICE.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy lawyer advised me not to fly so I don\u2019t get caught at the airport.\u201d<\/p>\n
Backing up these fears, a report from Human Rights Watch said an asylum-seeker who attended the Club World Cup final last year in New Jersey with his children was arrested by ICE and deported to his country of origin.<\/p>\n
Other fans willing to attend despite these fears won\u2019t even be able to make it into the country. Iranian and Haitian fans cannot enter the US, while those from the Ivory Coast and Senegal were also caught up in Trump\u2019s most recent travel ban.<\/p>\n
Others from Algeria, Cape Verde and Tunisia were told they would have to pay a $15,000 deposit to acquire a visitor visa before this requirement was temporarily dropped.<\/p>\n<\/amp-img>FIFA President Gianni Infantino presents President Donald Trump with the FIFA Peace Prize during the draw for the 2026 soccer World Cup at the Kennedy Center in Washington, Friday, Dec. 5, 2025.(AP Photo\/Evan Vucci, File)<\/span>Source: AP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nIRAN<\/b><\/p>\n
Naturally, a tournament where the main host nation has recently gone to war with one of the other participants is going to have some issues.<\/p>\n
Iran had already threatened to boycott the World Cup draw event when its president was denied a visa to enter the US, having been attacked in mid-2025, but once the US and Israel began a war with the nation in early 2026 things became particularly tricky.<\/p>\n
Travel concerns in the Middle East, with massive flight cancellations forced by the attacks, even sparked concerns Graham Arnold\u2019s Iraq wouldn\u2019t be able to make it to their playoff match (which they eventually attended, and won).<\/p>\n
Iran considered withdrawing from the tournament amid the risk of defections, as seen with the women\u2019s team during the recent Women\u2019s Asian Cup in Australia, but was warned it would be fined and face bans from future competitions.<\/p>\n
However FIFA\u2019s message was muddled by Donald Trump\u2019s claim on his social media platform that the team was welcome, yet it would not be \u201cappropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety\u201d – seen as a veiled threat.<\/p>\n
<\/amp-ima-video><\/p>\nSocceroos veteran misses World Cup squad | 07:32<\/p>\n
<\/div>\nAt one stage Iran attempted to negotiate with FIFA to move its matches from the US to Mexico, having been drawn into a group based around the US west coast, but this was denied.<\/p>\n
Instead Iran has moved its training base from Arizona in the US south-west to Tijuana, Mexico – on the US border just south of San Diego. Mexican president Claudi Sheinbaum said this was because \u201cthe United States does not want the Iranian team staying overnight in the country\u201d.<\/p>\n
But even that assumes they\u2019ll be allowed in for their games, because as of late May, the Iranian team was still training in Antalya, Turkey and seeking entry visas.<\/p>\n<\/amp-img>A National Guard vehicle patrols the surroundings of the Caliente Stadium in Tijuana, Baja California state, Mexico, on May 29, 2026, where Iran has relocated.<\/span>Source: AFP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nNo visas had been issued as of May 30, with the team issuing a statement stating: \u201cFIFA was explicitly asked to provide a clear determination on this matter.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs of the time of this statement, no response or update has been received. Therefore, it should be noted that visas for both the United States and Mexico have not yet been issued for members of the Iran National Team delegation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Some Iranian players, including captain Mehdi Taremi, served their mandatory military service with the nation\u2019s Revolutionary Guards – a group declared a terrorist entity by both the US and Canada.<\/p>\n
Separately, Iran has been involved in a controversy over its group stage match with Egypt.<\/p>\n
The host city of Seattle declared the fixture a Pride Match, celebrating the local Pride festival, before it was determined which nations would play in the game.<\/p>\n
Homosexuality is illegal in both Iran and Egypt, and punishable by death in the former, which officials from both countries objecting.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It\u2019s only fitting that the biggest sporting event on the planet, the FIFA World Cup – which is now bigger than ever – is also dealing with some of its biggest ever controversies. There\u2019s sure to be drama between the tournament opener on June 12 (all dates AEST) and the final on July 20… but […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":246469,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6807],"tags":[156],"class_list":{"0":"post-246468","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-leagues-cups","8":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/246468","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=246468"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/246468\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/246469"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=246468"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=246468"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=246468"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}