US Earns 2 F Grades in 2026 World Cup Hosting Report Card
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jul 18
US Earns 2 F Grades in 2026 World Cup Hosting Report Card
2 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 18
Summary
Two matches remain in Miami and East Rutherford, but a U.S. hosting assessment already gives the 2026 World Cup F grades for affordability and hospitality.
Ticket prices became an outlier even by World Cup standards, the report says, and high costs spread across transport, food, merchandise, parking and taxis.
Trump-era entry restrictions also hurt the hospitality score, with some referees, team staff and fans from banned nations unable to attend despite qualifying teams such as Iran, Senegal, Haiti and Côte d’Ivoire.
B+ stadiums and a B- for city atmosphere partly offset the failures, while transport drew a D+ as car-dependent host cities left fans facing long, costly trips.
Seattle, Philadelphia and Kansas City were cited as standout soccer cities, while some Texas hosts and stadiums far from downtown struggled to create a lasting World Cup presence.
Despite transport failures and high costs, did the 2026 World Cup leave a positive, lasting legacy in America?
Host cities invested millions but saw little economic return. Is the mega-event hosting model for US cities broken?
As FIFA faces legal probes over ticket prices, was its record revenue worth alienating a generation of fans?
2026 FIFA World Cup in the U.S.: Exclusion, Political Controversy, and Logistical Failures Undermine Global Unity
Overview
The U.S. co-hosting of the 2026 FIFA World Cup was met with mostly critical reviews, as lawmakers and media gave harsh 'F' grades due to major accessibility issues and the perception that the event was exclusionary and profit-driven. Dynamic ticket pricing by FIFA led to high costs, sparking backlash and calls from House Democrats for corrective action. These problems, combined with the U.S. Men's National Team's early exit, shaped a narrative of disappointment and exclusion, highlighting the tension between commercial interests and the global expectation of an inclusive World Cup experience.