After four years of anticipation laced with anxiety and speculations over political upheavals around the world, the 2026 World Cup is kicking off today as one of the most controversial in the recent history of the sport. The ideal of "fair play" that FIFA has preached for decades is facing its sternest test yet as the tournament begins.
Organisational Chaos and US Immigration Policies
Touted as a grand celebration meant to unite the world's finest footballing talents, the tournament's buildup has instead been plagued by a looming sense of organisational chaos. Central to this anxiety is the heavy-handed approach of the United States, a primary host whose national immigration policies have directly compromised the tournament's integrity. Rather than ensuring an equitable playing field, FIFA appears to have yielded significant leverage to Washington, triggering concerns that the global governing body has lost administrative control of its flagship event.
The most glaring manifestation of this power imbalance is the unprecedented repatriation of Omar Artan. Voted Africa's Referee of the Year in 2025, Artan was poised to make history as the first-ever Somali official to arbitrate at a men's World Cup finals. Despite possessing a valid visa and a diplomatic passport, he was intercepted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection upon landing in Miami, subjected to intense interrogation, and ultimately deported due to "vetting concerns." This exclusion directly mirrors the strictures of the travel ban targeting several majority-Muslim nations, including Somalia, which Donald Trump reinstated upon returning to the presidency.
FIFA's Hypocritical Stance
This capitulation marks a sharp, hypocritical reversal from the firm stance FIFA previously claimed it would maintain. Back in 2017, when the initial travel restrictions were introduced, FIFA President Gianni Infantino explicitly warned that any country restricting access to qualified teams, supporters, or officials would effectively invalidate its hosting rights, stating point-blank that "otherwise, there is no World Cup." Yet, over the last two years, Infantino has heavily ingratiated himself with the Trump administration. This proximity has left FIFA paralysed, entirely unable or unwilling to call the United States to order or enforce the strict non-discrimination guarantees traditionally demanded of host nations.
Consequently, the 2026 edition is heavily endangered of being even more controversial than its highly scrutinised predecessors in Russia (2018) and Qatar (2022). While those tournaments faced intense geopolitical and human rights backlash, the structural disruptions were largely resolved before the opening whistle, allowing the focus to shift back to the pitch. By contrast, the 2026 Mundial arrives with systemic, ongoing logistical and administrative dysfunction that threatens to overshadow the actual sport.
Legal and Corporate Scrutiny
Instead of providing an untroubled haven for the game, the tournament is starting under a cloud of intense legal and corporate scrutiny. Adding to this cocktail of confusion, former UEFA president Michel Platini has elected that this is the best time to launch civil and legal proceedings against Infantino over corruption allegations from 2015, which he says derailed his bid to lead the governing body. The criminal complaint, filed in the French courts, accuses Infantino and two former FIFA officials – legal director Marco Villiger and audit committee chair Domenico Scala – of malicious prosecution.
The build-up to the show has been marked by many problems, chief among them being the U.S. visa rejections, war on Iran and its fallouts, high visa application fees and the seeming American defiance of FIFA's host country protocol that allows eligible participants to enter the country without hindrance. After months of politically charged rigmarole between the U.S. and Iran, which led to them switching basecamps to Mexico instead, the Iranians are still not sure if they will be allowed into the U.S., where they have their group stage games, despite strict visa rules for players.
Although the United States have assured that the Mellis will be allowed to enter the country, they are likely to play without their fans, who cannot access entry visas to the United States. The U.S. recently launched a FIFA Priority Appointment Scheduling System (PASS), which expedites visa interviews for fans who have bought tickets through FIFA. But that does not guarantee a visa. Last month, a group of nearly 150 Ghana football fans saw their visa applications rejected.
Health Concerns and Ticketing Crisis
Apart from U.S. immigration issues, there are fears that the World Cup could open the way for the spread of such deadly diseases as Ebola and Dengue fever, among others. The United States' Embassy in Nigeria last week advised fans going to the World Cup to be well fortified with their medications, as some of the ailments prevalent in Nigeria, especially malaria, are not popular in America. Events of this scale rarely cause major outbreaks, but they do create opportunities for outbreaks and for health systems to be tested. According to experts, the more likely threats for fans at the World Cup are respiratory infections – illnesses spread by coughing, sneezing and breathing in crowded spaces. Of special concern is measles, which is surging in the United States as well as in Canada and Mexico. As of June 4, the U.S. Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed 2,030 cases of measles in 2026 – close to the total count for all of 2025 and significantly higher than in previous years.
Compounding this sense of exploitation is a full-blown crisis over ticketing practices that has drawn the attention of U.S. law enforcement. The Attorneys General of New York and New Jersey recently issued subpoenas to FIFA, launching a sweeping consumer protection investigation following a flood of complaints from furious fans. Evidence indicates that between October 2025 and April 2026, FIFA utilised deceptive "variable pricing" mechanics to artificially inflate the cost of tickets across 90 of the tournament's 104 matches, spiking prices by an average of 34 per cent. Worse still, fans who paid premium prices for high-tier seating have reported being displaced into entirely different, less desirable stadium zones due to erratic configuration changes, forcing regulators to step in against what they call manufactured scarcity and financial exploitation.
Financial Strain and Discrimination
The logistical strain extends far beyond the stadium gates, as everyday fans and participating teams face an extraordinarily hostile financial landscape. Hotel bookings managed under the tournament's umbrella have drawn fierce criticism for price gouging, forcing supporters to navigate impossibly high costs alongside skyrocketing local transit prices. The localised inflation has turned simple travel into a punishing financial gauntlet. Rather than fostering an inclusive, global party accessible to ordinary enthusiasts, the tournament's economic infrastructure feels explicitly engineered to squeeze maximum revenue from visitors, casting a deeply commercialised slur over the traditional spirit of the World Cup.
To make matters worse, this heavy-handed security and logistical environment has managed to manifest in overtly discriminatory ways, as seen when security personnel unleashed sniffer dogs on members of the Senegalese national team. Treating elite international athletes like criminal suspects exemplifies a security apparatus completely detached from the hospitable essence of the sport. Coupled with reports of 14 Iranian team officials being aggressively denied visas under what their federation termed "vindictive behaviour," these combined shenanigans illustrate that the United States is operating by a separate, unrestricted set of rules.
As the action begins, it is increasingly obvious that FIFA's inability to protect its own stakeholders has compromised the very definition of fair play. When Trump listed some countries as unwelcome in the U.S., Infantino suggested such a move could invalidate a country's World Cup hosting rights. But with Infantino allegedly ingratiating himself with Trump over the past two years, the organisation has been largely unable to call the United States to order. "It's obvious when it comes to FIFA competitions, any team, including the supporters and officials of that team, who qualify for a World Cup, need to have access to the country, otherwise there is no World Cup," Infantino said at that time.
Security Concerns and Show Must Go On
But FIFA is also mindful of the peculiar American situation, especially during the ongoing war with Iran. FIFA World Cup matches across the United States face heightened terrorism risks, with experts warning that vulnerabilities are being amplified by the US-Israel conflict with Iran and a depletion of counter-terrorism expertise within federal law enforcement. "We need to protect not only each venue, but all the other links in the chain that get to the point of the game," said Javed Ali, associate professor at the University of Michigan, who previously served in the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, and as national security council senior director for counter-terrorism. Although the U.S. is experienced in securing large-scale stadium events such as the NFL Super Bowl, experts say the sheer number of World Cup matches will require an unprecedented level of coordination, vigilance and stamina.
But then, the show must go on. From today till July 19, football lovers across the world will be treated to the best of the game with 47 countries vying to unseat Argentina as the best footballing nation on earth. Mexico will kick off the greatest show on earth with an unprecedented opening ceremony featuring world-renowned musicians, Alejandro Fernández, Belinda, Danny Ocean, J Balvin, Lila Downs, Los Ángeles Azules, Maná and Tyla. The opening ceremony is expected to be a celebration of Mexican culture through music, dance and artistry, featuring indigenous talent and modern folkloric performers. It is the first note in a tournament that will echo across Canada, Mexico, and the United States, united by a shared passion for the game that connects millions worldwide.
Speaking ahead of today's opening ceremony, Infantino described the World Cup as "a moment the world shares, and that begins with how we open it. Starting with Mexico City and continuing the next days with Toronto and Los Angeles, these ceremonies will bring together music, culture and football in a way that reflects both the individuality of each nation and the unity that defines this tournament. It is a powerful way to begin a truly global celebration." Gates at the stadium, according to FIFA, will open four hours ahead of the start of the match, offering a full suite of experiences, including exclusive activations, rewards and pre-match entertainment before one of the co-hosts, Mexico, faces South Africa in a repeat of the 2010 opening game hosted by South Africa.
Nigerian Representation and Prize Money
For Nigerians still ruing the absence of the Super Eagles in a competition that will feature 48 countries for the first time, the presence of some of the country's musical exports at different stages of the championship could be a compensation of sorts. Rema, Davido, Burna Boy, and Ayra Starr, who are featured on the official FIFA World Cup album, will be part of the opening ceremonies in various cities on every match day.
This tournament will feature 104 matches across 16 host cities, beginning with today's opening game in Mexico City and culminating in the final on July 19 at New York/New Jersey Stadium. It offers huge rewards to the participating teams, with the champions expected to receive $50 million, while the runners-up will earn $33 million. The third- and fourth-placed teams will receive $29 million and $27 million, respectively. Teams are to share from the $655 million performance – and results – based prize money, marking the largest prize fund in the annals of the FIFA World Cup. Participating national teams will receive financial rewards based on how far they advance in the competition, with the prize money increasing progressively as teams move deeper into the knockout stages.
Stars and Predictions
Despite the off-the-field issues, fans who eventually make it into the games are guaranteed great entertainment by an array of emerging stars eager to announce their arrival on the world football stage and the final embers of a rivalry that has lasted for nearly two decades between current world champion, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who is in his last attempt to win the World Cup. Messi and Ronaldo have dominated the global game since 2007, dominating the Ballon d'Or all these years. Now, as the caravan rolls into North America for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, that long-running drama is approaching its final act. For both men, this 48-team summer tournament is the last international rodeo. They have said as much themselves. "Definitely, yes," Ronaldo told reporters when asked whether this would be his World Cup farewell. "I'm going to be 41 years old, and I think it will be the moment." Messi, true to form, has been more measured. "I don't want to be a burden," he told reporters. "I want to feel physically fit, to be sure I can help and contribute to the team."
Messi won the great trophy four years ago in Qatar, while Ronaldo is still battling for the one laurel missing from his trophy chest. Ronaldo has won five Champions League titles. He claimed European glory with Portugal in 2016. He has scored more than 950 professional goals, a number that reads like a typographical error. Yet, his cabinet has a glaring space right in the centre. He has never played in a World Cup final, let alone won one. His deepest run remains his first, back in 2006, when a young, wet-behind-the-ears winger fell to France in the semifinals. For Ronaldo, this is literally a do-or-die crusade.
If the tournament signals an end to an era, it opens a new one in which such brilliant stars as Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, Vinícius Júnior, Michael Olise and the boy wonder, Lamine Yamal, will pick up the baton in a game adored for its brilliant performers.
Who Are the Likely Champions?
Argentina are the defending champion, but some analysts say that this could be the year England finally ends their World Cup heartbreak. England, now tutored by Germany's Thomas Tuchel, has not won the World Cup since it did so on home soil in 1966. They could not end the wait when they had their 'golden generation' of Frank Lampard, Steven Gerald, Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand, Paul Scholes and Ashley Cole, among others. But many believe that the class of Bukayo Saka, Harry Kane, Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham, Marc Guehi, Eberechi Eze, Morgan Rogers and Anthony Gordon, among others, can break their duck.
However, the more popular prediction is that European champions, Spain, Argentina, France, the Netherlands and Portugal, as well as England, have the firepower to get to the semifinals. For the African challenge, pundits believe that Morocco, Algeria, Cote d'Ivoire and Senegal can give the continent a strong representation with any of the quartet capable of equaling Morocco's semifinal achievement of four years ago. And once anyone gets to the semis, anything can happen. So, let the games begin.
