Simon Kuper warns of World Cup 2026's perfect storm

Simon Kuper, one of soccer's preeminent journalists who has attended every World Cup since 1990, is cautioning that the 2026 tournament unfolding across the United States, Mexico, and Canada faces unique challenges that could undermine the experience for fans and diminish the quality of play in the opening rounds. In his new book "World Cup Fever: A Soccer Journey in Nine Tournaments," Kuper highlights how FIFA, under President Gianni Infantino, has transformed the organization into what he describes as "an autocracy mixed with a monopoly mixed with a cash box," with Infantino centralizing power and distributing money to national associations in exchange for their votes. The tournament's face-value ticket prices are nearly four times higher than the 2022 Qatar World Cup, prompting attorneys general in New York and New Jersey to launch an investigation into FIFA's pricing practices, while parking near venues costs as much as $900 in some locations. The expansion from 32 to 48 teams, adding debutants Cape Verde, Curacao, Uzbekistan, and Jordan, will likely produce unwatchable first-round matchups as smaller nations employ defensive tactics against favorites like Germany and Spain. FIFA is projecting revenue of $11 billion to $13 billion for the tournament's four-year cycle, and Infantino has already announced he will seek reelection when his term expires next March. Separately, economists are questioning whether such mega-events deliver on their economic promises, with Taylor Swift's Eras Tour providing a cleaner comparison: while Swift's Philadelphia stop generated record hotel revenue documented in the Federal Reserve's Beige Book, Goldman Sachs analysis found that hosting the World Cup has a "marginally positive but not statistically significant" effect on GDP in the host country, with the long-run effect effectively zero. Kuper notes that the Trump administration's unpredictable visa policies and the involvement of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in venue security add further uncertainty, though he believes the tournament's saving grace will be the quality of soccer itself once matches begin. "The worst time for a World Cup is the two weeks before kickoff," he said, predicting that beautiful goals and memorable moments will eventually overshadow the structural concerns dominating pre-tournament coverage.