Hosting the 2026 World Cup should be a moment of national pride. Instead, it may prove a stress test for how well America can host the world.
| Opinion contributor
Trump introduces ‘FIFA PASS’ to expedite 2026 World Cup visas
President Donald Trump announces “FIFA PASS” to fast track visa interviews for 2026 World Cup ticket holders visiting the U.S.
In the summer of 2026, the United States (along with Canada and Mexico) will host the largest World Cup in history – 48 teams, 104 matches, drawing more than 7 million fans in 16 cities. The final will be played at MetLife Stadium just across the Hudson River from New York City.
It should be a moment of national pride. Instead, it may prove a stress test for how well America can host the world.
The last time the United States hosted the tournament in 1994, it attracted a record 3.6 million fans. Recent World Cups have come close. Stadium attendance hit about 3.43 million in Brazil 2014, 3 million in Russia 2018 and more than 3.4 million in Qatar 2022.
However, the United States’ upcoming tournament will be on another scale – due in part to an “American effect.” Evidence from Gallup polls suggests more global fans will travel to America than would have traveled to less touristy host countries, because America is a dream destination for many.
Hosting nearly double the fans in a post-9/11 security climate will present unique challenges that should be thoughtfully addressed now. Specifically, America’s immigration, transportation and public safety systems must be upgraded to give the world a warm welcome.
Resolve the immigration bottleneck ahead of the World Cup
The first challenge is to figure out if the United States is actually going to welcome all these fans. The Trump administration’s strict immigration stance, including a travel ban affecting 19 countries, creates a perception that foreign fans might not be welcome. (Two of those countries, Haiti and Iran, have teams participating in the tournament.)
Compounding the problem are visa backlogs that in some countries stretch to 18 months or more. For many would-be visitors, that means it’s already too late to plan a 2026 trip.
If foreign visitors stay away, the United States risks losing billions in tourism revenue. Fortunately, government officials insist they are working to speed up visa processing and improve customs staffing.
Fans from abroad should have an easy path to come here for the event, while there are still adequate safeguards against the security risks that hosting an international event presents. America used to pride itself on welcoming the world, but current immigration challenges could make that welcome feel more like an obstacle course.
The World Cup should be an opportunity to showcase American openness, not bureaucracy.
Transportation systems must be more efficient
Then there’s the question of how all these fans will get around. The U.S. air travel system already strains under normal traffic. Air traffic control is already chronically understaffed, and flight delays are continuing even after the government shutdown lifted.
Add millions of World Cup travelers and the system could seize up. The U.S. Travel Association bluntly warned that America is “not ready” for the influx, attributing the blame to sluggish visas and old airport security technology.
On an ordinary day, the U.S. system reliably moves about 2.4 million people through Transportation Security Administration checkpoints, but when it surged to a record 3.1 million on June, airports experienced longer security lines, tight gate and crew turns, and delays that have become common on peak travel days.
What will airport officials do with millions of fans trying to fly back and forth to matches?
America’s cities are not designed to move this many people this quickly. Some, like Arlington, Texas, lack robust public transit altogether.
This will force tens of thousands of fans into cars and rideshares on already congested roads. Other cities like Philadelphia face budget crises so severe that their transit agencies have considered major service cuts at the very moment overall ridership is increasing.
Even transit-rich regions like New York and New Jersey are scrambling. NJ Transit is spending $100 million to upgrade capacity and bus service for MetLife Stadium so it can move up to 20,000 people per hour after matches – roughly double its current rate.
Don’t forget the security challenges, too
Finally, no other sporting event poses such complex security demands. Eleven U.S. cities will host matches – from Seattle to Miami – requiring federal, state and local agencies to coordinate in ways they rarely have to.
Major sports events have long been considered prime terrorist targets, and the sheer number of venues magnifies the risks.
The United States will also be marking its 250th birthday in July, meaning that already stretched law enforcement will be covering two massive events at once.
New York, a perennial high-risk city for terrorism, has experience handling special security events such as the United Nations General Assembly and New Year’s Eve in Times Square. Yet officials acknowledge that even here, coordination systems are outdated and resources are limited.
The same is true across the country. For many smaller host cities, this will be the largest event they’ve ever handled.
The influx of people necessitates more police deployment. Overall, crime did not rise during past World Cups because authorities deployed extraordinary policing. Declines were driven by the added police presence.
In Rio de Janeiro during the 2014 World Cup, robberies and muggings spiked in tourist areas, prompting authorities to increase deployments of police. São Paulo demonstrated that without the extra World Cup policing, it would not have cut total offenses and robberies in only protected areas during the tournament. Results show that this effect was localized, as adjacent districts did not experience crime reductions.
Hosting the World Cup is a big responsibility
None of these problems are unsolvable. Federal agencies can accelerate visa processing. Airports can modernize screening technology and staffing. Cities can invest in transit and public safety coordination. But those steps require urgency, coordination and, above all, the recognition that this is about more than logistics.
How America hosts the World Cup signals its ability to lead, to organize and to open its doors confidently to the world.
Three decades ago, the 1994 FIFA World Cup offered a snapshot of an America that felt capable, optimistic and open. The 2026 edition will ask whether that spirit still exists.
The world will be watching – not only the matches, but also how we play our role as host.
Santiago Vidal Calvo is a cities policy analyst at the Manhattan Institute.
