Everything that has gone wrong with World Cup 2026 - as more chaos looms

Everything that has gone wrong with World Cup 2026 - as more chaos looms The 2026 World Cup is already proving to be one of the most controversial tournaments yet - from water bottle rules and hiked-up ticket prices to President Donald Trump being accused of 'treating teams like criminals' The 2026 World Cup is underway, previously lauded by Fifa's President Gianni Infantino as "simply the greatest event that humanity, that mankind, has ever seen and will ever see". Certainly, it is set to be one of the most extravagant World Cups, with a record-breaking 48 teams taking part and, for the first time in the tournament's nearly 100-year history, matches jointly hosted by three countries - Mexico, Canada and the United States. But before a single ball has been kicked, the competition has also earned some other, less favourable, titles - as the most politicised, expensive and contentious World Cup to date. From controversy over immigration issues and the impact of geopolitics to the costs to fans and the role of President Donald Trump, the tournament has already proven incredibly divisive. We take a closer look at some of the major issues surrounding the 2026 World Cup. Nations at war By far one of the contentious issues is the fact that World Cup host America has started a war against one of the participant nations, Iran - unprecedented in the tournament's history. Fifa previously confirmed that the Iran team had moved its base from Arizona to Mexico, as a result of the military campaign launched in February, when the US and Israel attacked Iran. America's conflict sparked retaliatory strikes across the Middle East, and while a ceasefire technically came into effect in early April, fighting between the two sides has continued. If it was almost any other country, the debate would be about moving it, or boycotting. But there has been no such discussion. In March, Trump said that it would not be "appropriate" for Iran to participate in the competition, "for their own life and safety". The Instagram account for the Iranian team quickly responded, questioning whether the US president should be commenting on team participation. "The World Cup is a historic and international event, and its governing body is FIFA - not any individual country," it wrote. The account also criticised Trump for allegedly failing to provide proper security for Iran's national football players. "Certainly, no one can exclude Iran's national team from the World Cup," the message continued. "The only country that could be excluded is one that merely carries the title of 'host' yet lacks the ability to provide security for the teams participating in this global event." It will be the fourth consecutive World Cup for Iran - but the country has accused the US of denying visas to some executives and backroom staff, with an official claiming the players had been told they must enter and leave the US on the same day of their three group matches there. Iran's football federation has also said its allocation of fan tickets for the group stage had been revoked, stating that it "raises serious questions about the interference of non-sporting and political considerations in the organisation of the world's biggest football event." Fifa, meanwhile, said it is working to "maximise opportunities for Iranian supporters to attend matches". Iran's games look set to be politically charged, with their first two matches taking place in Los Angeles, leading a potential knock-out meeting between Iran and the US. Travel bans Fifa boss Gianni Infantino said last year that "everyone will be welcome in Canada, Mexico and the United States for the Fifa World Cup." Now those words seem to be coming back to haunt him. Just this week, celebrated Somali referee Omar Artan was denied entry to the States, along with numerous Iranian staff. Iraq striker Aymen Hussein was questioned for hours on his arrival in Chicago, while the Senegal and Uzbekistan teams were subjected to heavy security searches, it's been claimed. Artan was one of 52 selected for this summer's World Cup. He was one of seven African referees to be chosen for the tournament and would have been the first Somali to referee a World Cup game. "I had the right papers and everything. I had the right visa," Mr Artan told the New York Times, adding that he had also shown documentation from FIFA as well as photographs of his career of over a decade as a professional referee. Border officials also reportedly checked online material detailing Mr. Artan's career. The interview ended after 11 hours, Mr Artan said, and he was then taken to a separate holding cell where he was detained for several further hours before being put on a flight back to Istanbul. He said that officials did not give him a reason for refusing him entry - but Somalia is one of several countries on a travel ban list introduced by the Trump administration. On the eve of the tournament, Infantino addressed the backlash over Artan's ban - and in extraordinary comments called for people to "chill and relax". "It is unfortunate what happened to Omar. But we don't control everything. We try, we discuss and we will speak," Infantino said. "Maybe sometimes it is good as well to just chill and relax. We work on everything and try to solve everything. Sometimes, to start screaming and shouting has the opposite effect of finding a solution. "Believe me when I tell you, don't believe me if you want, we always try to find solutions. We are not the kings of the world who can rule over governments and police forces; we are a sports organisation." As a result of the immigration policies implemented by Trump, there will be four competing countries - Iran, Haiti, Senegal and Ivory Coast - whose fans have faced full or partial travel bans, with the White House referencing a need to manage security threats. Analysis of travel data by the BBC shows that fans from more than a quarter of the 48 countries taking part in the World Cup are facing travel bans, tighter restrictions or high visa rejection rates. Fifa has insisted that it is "not involved in host country immigration processes". But critics have noted that this stands at odds with its stance when Indonesia refused entry to the Israeli team for the under-20 World Cup in 2023. They were promptly stripped of hosting. "This is a tournament where players, fans, and officials are not walking in free of risk, if they can get in at all," according to Craig Foster, a former captain of Australia's 'Socceroos' and now a rights campaigner. "For a sport that has trumpeted its commitment to its own human rights policy for a decade now, that is nothing short of disgraceful," he told the BBC. "This should obliterate the idea, that has still been somewhat prevalent in the world, of a separation between politics and sport. Unlike any other sporting tournament I can recall in modern times, this is a deeply politicised World Cup." UK citizens who want to go to the United States for up to 90 days without a visa need to apply to the country's Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA). But dozens of fans who filled out the form have said on social media that their application status had changed in the days leading up to the World Cup kicking off on Thursday. One Scottish fan says he found out an hour before flying to the World Cup that his travel permit had been revoked. Michael Wright had been due to head off to the States for a 30th birthday trip with his brother - and had tickets for Scotland's group stage games against Haiti and Morocco. But he ended up having to send his brother through the security gates at Manchester Airport on his own when his visa status switched from "approved" to "pending" and finally to "travel not authorised". Michael, who is from Greenock but now lives in Australia, told BBC Scotland News: "I don't think I've ever felt that bad. I sent my brother through security because I still wanted him to go and enjoy his holiday. And I didn't want him to see me ready to break down." He said he could think of "no valid reason" for the change in his visa status and the US authorities had not given him one. The Infantino-Trump relationship Ever since he took over the role in 2016, Infantino has ingratiated himself with the leaders of countries hosting Fifa events. But his special relationship with Trump has not gone unnoticed. He has been a fixture at a number of the US president's events - including his second inauguration, a fact that raised eyebrows since Fifa is supposed to be politically neutral so they can navigate complicated geopolitics. Infantino previously claimed that Trump deserved to win the Nobel Peace Prize for his contribution to the Israel-Gaza ceasefire, and has enthusiastically praised his policies. Then there was the controversial decision to award Trump with the inaugural Fifa Peace Prize last year. The US president was handed the award at the World Cup draw in Washington DC in December with Infantino telling Trump: "We want to see hope, we want to see unity, we want to see a future. This is what we want to see from a leader and you definitely deserve the first Fifa Peace Prize." Since then, the US has launched airstrikes across Venezuela and captured the country's president, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores. America has also taken military action in Nigeria and Iran, with Trump hinting at further possible operations in Greenland, Mexico, and another World Cup participant, Colombia. The Trump show Infantino's close relationship with Trump has also raised questions about how the World Cup could be used politically. The US leader is expected to take centre stage at the tournament, just as he did at the Club World Cup final last year, and again at the World Cup draw in December. It gives him an ideal chance to project his image internationally, and critics have suggested that Trump will exploit the World Cup to promote his political ideology - something that has been labelled 'sportswashing'. Others have accused Fifa of facilitating 'the Maga World Cup, given Infantino's connection to the US leader. Amnesty, meanwhile, has also said the tournament risks becoming "a stage for repression", highlighting what it calls "abusive, discriminatory and deadly immigration enforcement and mass detention in the USA". It warns of "significant risks" for those attending. Much of the scrutiny has centered on the role of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). At least 18 people have died this year in ICE custody and multiple US citizens have been killed. Immigration activists, meanwhile, say they have received conflicting reports about the presence and role of ICE agents at the competition. Trump administration officials have not ruled out the possibility of arrests near the games, despite assurances from the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, that ICE would not operate inside stadiums. Cost controversies The 2026 World Cup is set to be the most lucrative in its history, with Fifa set to make a record $9bn (£6.74bn) this year alone. But it is also set to be the most expensive for supporters. Estimations show it will cost the average fan between $10,000 (£7,450) and $35,000 (£26,150) to follow their team right through the tournament. Concerns about costing having been rumbling for months. For previous men's World Cups, FIFA had announced details further in advance. Almost two full years before Russia 2018, it held a news conference and revealed ticket prices. But it wasn't until September 2025 that FIFA released any information about how the ticketing process would work, including how many tickets would be available, for which matches, in which phases, and at what prices. FIFA's initial prices, revealed by The Athletic in October, were by far the highest in World Cup history. Every ticket, for every match, in every category, was more expensive than any equivalent ticket in 2022, 2018, 2014 and so on, the New York Times reports. Back in 2018, those behind North America's World Cup bid said tickets to the final would cost a maximum of $1,550 (£1,174). However, when they went on sale to members of each country's official supporters' club in December, the most expensive was listed at $8,680 (£6,581). Fifa has defended its prices on two grounds: a reflection of the North American market, where people regularly pay hundreds of dollars to attend sporting events, and as a source of revenue that will ultimately be re-invested in the development of football globally. But it has also come under fire for its decision to use - for the first time ever - the concept of 'dynamic pricing', whereby prices fluctuate based on real or perceived demand. It has sparked a major backlash, along with fears that many of the most passionate and loyal supporters could be priced out, turning it from a mass-access global event to a limited-access gathering for the wealthy. On the official resale platform, fans faced paying vastly inflated prices, with Fifa taking a 30% fee from each ticket sold. It has prompted officials in New York and New Jersey to officially launch an investigation, with FIFA facing allegations of "artificially inflating prices" and "misleading fans" over ticket sales. FIFA has hyped up the high demand, claiming more than five million tickets have been bought, and stating that the event would be sold out. But BBC Sport has found thousands of tickets for matches involving the smaller nations are available well below face value, across both FIFA's own resale site and secondary marketplaces. Tickets aren't the only rising cost visitors will have to absorb. Train tickets normally priced at $12.90 (£9.50), from central New York to the nearby Met Life stadium in New Jersey (where the World Cup final will be staged) were hiked up to $150 (£111), before being reduced to $98 (£73), with the New Jersey governor blaming FIFA for refusing to subsidise transport expenditure. There was recent outrage, too, when FIFA said fans would not be allowed to take reusable bottles in the stadiums because of safety concerns - many believed it was to drive sales inside the venues. Researchers expressed fears that the ban could put fans' health at risk, given that temperatures at 14 of the 16 host venues are set to exceed 'dangerous levels'. Amid a major outcry, FIFA backed down, permitting fans to take in sealed, disposable water bottles after all. Given the record cost of this World Cup, hotel booking in host cities are also said to be well below expectations and it remains to be seen whether or not each game will be a sell-out. "There will have been a lot of people priced out of it," Thomas Concannon, leader of the Football Supporters' Association England fan group, told BBC Sport. Between 12,000 and 15,000 England fans will be at each of the team's three group matches in Dallas, Boston and New Jersey. "It feels like those numbers are a little bit disappointing given the excitement that was building up. We thought there would be more."