Amid the last-minute rush to complete infrastructure projects in Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey, citizens of this country are eager for the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosted across North America for the first time. The inaugural game of the 39-day event is in Mexico City on Thursday, June 11.

Mexico’s passion for soccer guarantees massive interest across all ages and classes of society. However, it’s a feeling that is hardly being replicated in the other host nations, the United States and Canada, where the lead-up to the tournament is far more muted.

Another leading question is how much the world’s most popular sporting event – now featuring a record 48 nations – is galvanizing the rest of the world?

Fans from all over the globe have traditionally traveled to previous World Cups, even in countries such as South Africa (2010) and Russia (2018). But with 75 percent of this year’s tournament to be held in the United States, many potential travelers are being dissuaded by fears over the welcome they might receive from that country’s leadership, the high costs of transportation and inflated ticket prices.

Reports that ICE might use the World Cup as a mass staging ground for raids have become a quiet worry for many fans, regardless of whether they legally have anything to fear. Over 120 civil society groups have issued a travel advisory for the U.S., citing “serious rights violations” under the Trump administration’s immigration policies.

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