The World Cup is one year away. Is the U.S. ready?
One year from Wednesday, a World Cup hosted by a record number of countries will play the first of an unprecedented number of games involving an unequaled total of teams over a historic volume of days.
With 11 of 16 venues and most of the 104 matches, the United States is the primary presenter of the quadrennial men’s soccer spectacle, which returns to North America for the first time since 1994.
Mexico and Canada will play smaller roles, with Mexico City’s Estadio Banorte (previously known as Estadio Azteca) staging the opener.
As the tournament draws closer, several issues and most of the participating teams remain unresolved. A year out, here’s a look at preparations.
The government
To shore up White House support, FIFA President Gianni Infantino has met with President Donald Trump and administration officials several times. Trump has even displayed a replica World Cup trophy in the Oval Office.
Infantino seems to have worked himself into Trump’s orbit, joining the U.S. delegation last month for meetings with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
Andrew Giuliani, son of former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, is the point man for the White House’s World Cup task force.
U.S. host cities are seeking $625 million in federal funding for security around a tournament that will span 39 days – three weeks longer than an Olympics – and involve months of preparations.
But there are growing concerns about immigration issues and government cutbacks affecting fans seeking to enter the United States and move between the three host countries.
Despite increased scrutiny of visitors, fans “will be welcome here,” Infantino told The Washington Post. “America welcomes the world. That’s how it has been, is and will be.”
Trump’s travel ban on citizens of 12 countries, however, would prevent fans from nations that have qualified, such as Iran. (There is an exemption for players and coaches.)
The tickets
Unless you’re giddy about purchasing a hospitality package ranging from $3,500 to $73,000 for multiple matches, you will not have access to tickets until this fall.
FIFA has yet to announce the process and pricing. The first step is registering on the organization’s website, the only official access point for tickets.
Aside from higher costs for the opener and knockout stages, the Athletic reported FIFA is considering dynamic pricing, in which costs fluctuate based on demand and availability.
Noting stadium capacities and the number of matches, FIFA is aiming to fill more than 6 million seats. The record is close to 3.6 million for the 1994 World Cup in the United States, which averaged about 69,000 fans for 52 games – half of the 2026 schedule.
The schedule
The framework is set, with 78 matches in the United States and 13 apiece in Mexico and Canada. What remains are the date and venue designations of specific group-stage matches and the pathways to the final. That will occur at the draw in December, probably in Las Vegas. Six playoff winners, though, will not be determined until March.
Teams representing the host nations know their group stage dates and venues; they await only their opponents. The United States will play twice at SoFi Stadium in greater Los Angeles and once in Seattle. Mexico will sandwich games in the capital around a trip to Guadalajara. Canada will start in Toronto and finish with two in Vancouver.
Because they are seeded, the hosts will not be grouped with a world power, such as Argentina, Brazil or France. (The top nine qualifiers also will be seeded.)
AT&T Stadium near Dallas was awarded the most matches (nine), followed by SoFi Stadium; MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey; and Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium with eight apiece. Those Texas and Atlanta venues will host semifinals, and MetLife Stadium will stage the July 19 final.
The stadiums
NFL stadiums are serving as U.S. World Cup venues, which is challenging for two reasons: Football fields are about 20 yards narrower than soccer fields and eight of the 11 venues have artificial turf, which is not allowed in the tournament. Grass will need to be installed.
SoFi Stadium passed a test this spring with a temporary grass field for the Concacaf Nations League finals and a U.S. women’s national team friendly. All three Mexican venues and Toronto’s stadium have grass; Vancouver will need a new field.
Most U.S. stadiums will undergo millions of dollars in upgrades and alterations, such as removing seats to accommodate not just the larger playing area but auxiliary zones for signage and security.
A reminder: Washington is one of the few capital regions in the World Cup’s 96-year history passed over as a host city. Northwest Stadium, the home of the Washington Commanders in Landover, Maryland, did not meet FIFA standards and D.C. United’s Audi Field is much too small. FIFA rejected a joint Washington-Baltimore bid.
The teams
The qualifying process to determine the 45 teams that will join the hosts began in September 2023 and remains competitive on several continents.
With the field expanded from 32 to 48, the door has swung wide open to teams that typically would struggle to qualify. Uzbekistan and Jordan are in for the first time. Cape Verde is close to punching its maiden ticket.
A late starter, Europe is in a sprint to determine its tournament-high 16 bids. Most will be decided by November. Reigning champion Argentina was the first to secure passage out of the South American confederation. Ecuador and Brazil followed this week. Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay are in prime position for the remaining automatic slots.
Japan and Iran were the first Asian teams to advance, followed by South Korea, Uzbekistan and Jordan last week and Australia on Tuesday. Two additional automatic berths are available.
Concacaf, which encompasses North and Central America and the Caribbean, will pick up speed in the fall with Panama, Costa Rica and Jamaica favored to claim the automatic berths. Headlined by Egypt and 2022 semifinalist Morocco, Africa will begin awarding bids in September. New Zealand breezed through the weak Oceania region.
Four European berths and two inter-confederation slots will be settled through playoffs.
The U.S. men’s national team
If their performance at the past two competitions is any indication, the Americans will not last long at the World Cup.
After crashing out of the 2024 Copa América in the group stage, the program seemed to find direction when renowned Argentine coach Mauricio Pochettino was appointed in September.
But the United States finished last among four teams at the Concacaf Nations League finals in March and, for an array of reasons, many regulars will miss the Concacaf Gold Cup – the last opportunity before the World Cup for Pochettino to gather his top players for a tournament. The 16-team competition begins this weekend.
Eight friendlies with the full squad will fill the available dates in the fall and spring before Pochettino selects his World Cup roster.
Compounding Pochettino’s challenge is a generation of players entering their prime, led by Christian Pulisic, who have not met national team expectations since the 2022 World Cup.
The Americans aren’t exactly building momentum on the field or creating buzz off it. Wednesday’s milepost offers a reminder that they have a year to get it right.