Sports

World Cup Host Cities Are Starting to Worry

By Curtis Jones · April 21, 2026

The World Cup starts June 11. With seven weeks to go, the people running the host cities are getting nervous.

Politico reported Monday that local leaders and organizers in U.S. host cities are growing increasingly anxious about two converging factors that were not part of anyone’s planning calculus when the tournament was awarded: the war with Iran and the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement posture. Together, they are generating real uncertainty about fan travel, international attendance, and the basic logistics of hosting a global sporting event.

The immigration angle is the more immediate concern for many city officials. The 2026 World Cup was expected to draw millions of international visitors — and a substantial number of those visitors come from countries whose citizens are subject to heightened scrutiny under Trump’s immigration policies. Visa processing delays, enhanced screening, and the general perception that the U.S. is hostile to international visitors have already begun to affect travel bookings, according to organizers. Some international fan groups have publicly discussed whether it is safe to attend.

The Iran conflict adds a separate layer of economic disruption. Gas prices above $4 a gallon, inflation at 3.3% in March, and uncertainty about whether the war escalates or winds down before June have all contributed to a consumer-confidence environment that affects domestic attendance as well. Organizers had assumed a robust domestic fan base would complement international arrivals — but Americans cutting discretionary spending may not materialize as planned.

The transit situation in New Jersey, where MetLife Stadium will host eight matches including the final, has become its own flashpoint. NJ Transit is considering fares as high as $100 for a round-trip train to the stadium — compared to the standard $12.90. Governor Mikie Sherrill has demanded FIFA contribute to transit costs, noting the organization is contributing zero dollars despite projecting $11 billion in revenue from the tournament.

FIFA and the host city committees have maintained publicly that preparations are on track. But Politico’s reporting suggests the private conversations among city officials are considerably less confident.

The tournament’s organizers are working from a pre-war, pre-tariff planning model that no longer matches current economic and political conditions. Whether attendance, television viewership, and the overall fan experience live up to the original vision depends significantly on factors — a ceasefire, immigration policy shifts, gas prices — that city planners have no ability to control.