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FIFA promised fans that World Cup 2026 would be the ‘biggest ever' edition of the tournament, and in some regards they pulled that off, with 48 nations represented across Mexico, Canada and the United States.
The prospect of three countries co-hosting the World Cup was always going to come with logistical challenges, but those were compounded in many cases by the policies of both FIFA and the US government.
With that in mind, it would be fair to say that this summer's event was far from perfect, with issues ranging from exorbitant prices to the exclusion of staff and supporters due to immigration issues in the US.
However, there were still plenty of iconic fan moments that reminded us just what makes the World Cup special, with Scotland taking over Boston and Norway's Viking row taking over the globe.
Here, after Spain lifted the trophy, Football Ground Guide considers whether the three-country World Cup was a success.
The three-country format damaged the United States' image further at World Cup 2026
The vast majority of the controversies at this summer's World Cup emerged from the United States, something that invited unflattering comparisons considering the relative simplicity with which Mexico and Canada handled their co-hosting duties.
One of the biggest concerns prior to the tournament was about the presence of ICE agents in the US, and the extent to which Donald Trump's immigration policies would prevent fans from attending the competition.
Unfortunately, huge numbers of fans were banned from entering the country to support their teams, most notably from African nations such as Senegal, whose captain Kalidou Koulibaly spoke out against the poor treatment of supporters:
“It’s true that some supporters couldn’t fly to America. I think that every team can have their people, so I don’t understand why people from Africa cannot have their people.
“I don’t want to speak about politics or something like this. I just want to speak about football, enjoy football, and I think football is for everybody.”
/https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.footballgroundguide.com%2Fmain%2F2026%2F06%2FDR-Congos-most-famous-fan.jpg "World Cup 2026: Did the three-country tournament work? 1")
In a similar vein, the Democratic Republic of Congo's most famous fan, Michel Kuka Mboladinga, – known as the ‘living statue' – was unable to attend his nation's games in the US after being denied a visa on multiple occasions, though he was present against Colombia at Estadio Akron in Zapopran, Mexico.
Another infamous incident occurred before the World Cup kicked off, when Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan was barred from entering the US to officiate at the tournament, even after securing a diplomatic passport.
In the aftermath, former England striker Ian Wright took to Instagram to make his feelings known about what he described as a “World Cup of chaos,” stating:
“Every few hours, it's another story about fans denied, player denied, officials denied, journalists denied, now refs.
“I'm laughing but it's not funny. It's actually not funny and something has to be said.”
There was also a shadow hanging over this World Cup due to the United States' war with Iran, especially considering that the latter would be competing at the tournament.
FIFA insisted that Iran would be able to participate this summer despite the conflict, but their treatment in the US was far from hospitable, and the entirety of the team and staff were placed under harsh restrictions that affected their performances on the pitch.
The Iranian national team had intended to situate their training base in Arizona, but were forced into a switch to Tijuana, Mexico. From there, the delegation would be allowed to enter the US the day before a match, before leaving on the same day as the game, something that had an impact on recovery.
The squad was allowed to travel two days ahead of time for their final group outing, but the circumstances remained far from ideal. Commenting after that last fixture, Iran manager Amir Ghalenoei said:
“To my players and the team, I want to say to them I'm proud of them. What these young people, these players have done, it should be written in history because the host country treated us very unfairly.
“Despite all of these problems, we've been able to perform well and the world is proud of Iranians and our team.
“I urge Fifa: don't let hosts treat players and teams the same way in future World Cups.”
There were even more examples of visitors to the US being treated poorly at World Cup 2026, and given the vast difference in experience for individuals in Mexico and Canada this summer, it would be fair to say that the three-country tournament was deeply flawed.
The three-country World Cup exposed the US' inauthenticity
/https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.footballgroundguide.com%2Fmain%2F2026%2F07%2Fimago1080258472.jpg "World Cup 2026: Did the three-country tournament work? 2")
The passion for football in Mexico – particularly at the brilliant Estadio Azteca – captured the hearts of fans around the world, and it was no coincidence that the atmospheres in the quarter-finals onwards, from when every match was played in the United States, were largely disappointing.
It was also notable that the extreme commercialisation of the World Cup ramped up in the latter stages, with some particularly bizarre scenes at the final that went against the spirit of the beautiful game in favour of US-focused materialism.
The widely-mocked half-time show at MetLife Stadium will go down in history as a moment that was both embarrassing and damaging to the integrity of the sport, considering that it was lacklustre in entertainment terms and saw the usual 15-minute interval extended to 27 minutes and 27 seconds.
Swathes of influencers and celebrities were also seen adding to the ‘plastic' feeling of the World Cup in the US, posting online about pitchside seats at the final that were valued upwards of $2 million on resale sites.
By comparison, Mexico's venues were electric on each and every matchday without the need for performative fandom, creating a contrast with the United States that presented the latter country in a poor light while the eyes of the world were watching.
The magic of the World Cup is still alive in 2026 – though it has been restricted
World Cup 2026 undoubtedly had its negative moments on and off the pitch, but it would be remiss to suggest that the magic of the tournament has died entirely.
One of the best aspects of the quadrennial tournament is the way in which fans from different cultures meet and share their passion for football, and the supporters that were able to enter the US found a way to shine this summer.
For example, one of the major fan stories from early in the campaign emerged out of Boston, where Scotland fans took over Fenway Park by attending a Red Sox game, and reportedly drank the city dry during the group stage.
Likewise, Japanese supporters were full of excitement and joy while experiencing the best Texas had to offer ahead of their showdown with the Netherlands in Dallas, and Norway introduced the world to the Viking row, a fan action that will surely live on for years to come.
FGG says: The three-country tournament was a logistical failure
Overall, it is hard to argue that the three-country World Cup was a success given the logistical struggles that many sides at the tournament faced, not to mention the strife of fans simply wanting to support their nations this summer.
Going forward, FIFA would do well to avoid awarding such an iconic event to a group of host nations with such differing policies – especially regarding immigration – in order to save everyone attending and competing a nightmare.
However, considering that World Cup 2026 reportedly boosted FIFA's revenues over the four-year cycle beyond $13bn, football's governing body will likely see the tournament as a huge success.