A tournament of superlatives begins

The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off on 11 June, the first to span three nations and feature 48 teams over 104 matches. Organisers project $13 billion in revenue, making it the most commercially outsized edition ever staged. Yet the build‑up has been marred by entry barriers, visa chaos and environmental warning lights.

Entry obstacles multiply

Scottish supporter Ivan Ralph was among hundreds whose ESTA authorisation was abruptly revoked. “They don’t give a reason. They just say you’re not allowed to travel to the United States,” he said. Ralph, who had travelled to the US three times in the past year without incident, secured an emergency embassy appointment in Belfast while his son and daughter already boarded their flight. Fellow fans reported receiving cancellation emails just hours before departure. Scottish First Minister John Swinney has asked the US consulate to expedite reviews.

“The whole world is welcome.”

Omar Artan, considered one of Africa’s best referees, was turned back at the US border despite a valid visa. Iranian and Iraqi journalists have also encountered access difficulties. FIFA president Gianni Infantino had repeatedly pointed to his rapport with Donald Trump as a guarantee of openness, but the pre‑tournament reality is delivering exclusion at scale.

Carbon footprint overshoots

The bid dossier promised the cleanest World Cup ever. Instead, campaign group SGR calculates this edition will emit 92% more greenhouse gases than the average of previous decades, owing to the vast distances between host cities and the swollen field.

French fans head west as police prepare at home

Some 600 members of the Irrésistibles Français supporters’ association have secured “Follow My Team” packages that guarantee tickets for all of France’s matches – final included – for €480. Matthias, who has followed Les Bleus since 2014, hopes for a rematch with Argentina in the final. “We want a finale against Argentina because I still have the 2022 one stuck in my craw,” he said. Fabrice, travelling with his teenage son, has been saving for two years and is braced for high local costs, which he expects will dampen the atmosphere in the stands.

Meanwhile, French public safety authorities have issued a nationwide alert, warning that matches involving Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, Senegal, Portugal, Turkey or Iran could spark disorder across the country.

A celebration under tension

The economic burden on supporters is steep: Ivan Ralph’s aborted trip has already cost nearly £10,000. With 16 stadiums spread over a continent, fans face relentless air travel and tight budgets. As editorial voices in France ask whether one can truly enjoy a tournament whose “parameters are all in the red”, the gap between FIFA’s unifying rhetoric and the lived experience of fans, officials and host communities widens.