This content was published on

June 15, 2026 - 11:01

7 minutes

(Bloomberg) — All the concerns about this World Cup, spanning extreme heat to transportation headaches and record ticket prices, failed to tarnish the opening days of the tournament.There were few reports of major problems. The positivity was also helped by the three host nations playing well, with Mexico and the US winning in dominant fashion and Canada earning a draw.“We are here enjoying the emotion of a country in one heart,” said 44-year-old Josue Ortega Ramirez in Mexico City as fans flooded the capital’s streets during a thundering rain after a 2-0 victory over South Africa on Thursday in the tournament’s opener. “This is something that excites us all, where social classes and differences do not exist.”The good vibes have even spilled out into other sports. The Tartan Army — Scotland’s vocal supporters — descended on Fenway Park, where the struggling Red Sox found themselves serenaded by bagpipes and The Flower of Scotland.But it wasn’t all positive. There were numerous empty seats for Qatar’s draw with Switzerland, backing worries that high ticket prices had hurt demand. As the match continued, more spaces opened up in the stands. In Guadalajara, where South Korea beat the Czech Republic, there were large sections of empty seats in the hospitality areas. At the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium, unsold hospitality seats at pitch-side were filled with volunteers.The threat of aggressive immigration enforcement by US officials has hung over the World Cup. Maria Price waved a big Mexican flag during a Thursday watch party in downtown Los Angeles. Price, a Mexico native and now a US citizen, said turnout was light because many Mexican-Americans in the area are still living in fear since last year’s crackdown on immigrants by the Trump administration, which deployed federal agents supported by thousands of US troops to the city.“Other years it’d be packed here,” Price said. “People are afraid to come out.”Immigration issues have also spilled onto the pitch. Last week, Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan was refused entry to the USA over vetting concerns. A number of the Iranian team’s backroom staff have also been denied visas.FIFA said it does not get involved in host country immigration processes. This has not always been the case. In 2023, FIFA stripped Indonesia of hosting rights for the Under-20 World Cup after Bali’s governor refused to host the Israeli team.More Teams, More FansFor this World Cup, tournament organizer FIFA expanded to 48 teams from 32, which added 40 matches. Critics say the move watered down the field and served as another example of FIFA’s push to boost revenue at all costs.But it meant a lot for fans of national teams that have missed several World Cups in a row.I Love Paraguay, one of the few restaurants in New York serving cuisine from the small South American country, has become a gathering spot for the diaspora. During Friday night’s match with the US, fans packed the tables and even sat on the floor for the nation’s first World Cup match in 16 years.“I have goosebumps just being here,” said Mirian Cáceres‎, a 60-year-old who flew to New York from her home in Paraguay’s capital, Asunción, to spend three weeks visiting her sister and watching matches. She doesn’t have plans to catch any games in person because she just wanted to be near the action. “I came to see it up close.”Haiti’s World Cup drought was even longer, dating back to 1974. The team overcame long odds, with the country immersed in dysfunction and violence. It hadn’t played a home game since 2021, and the team rarely practiced together.In a Brooklyn neighborhood known as Little Haiti, fans filled eateries and bars to catch a glimpse of their team’s 1-0 loss to Scotland, which hadn’t made the World Cup since 1998. At BunNan, servers delivered plates of sweet plantains and jerk chicken to a packed restaurant.“As much as we are a restaurant, we are a community hub,” said Nadege Fleurimond, owner of BunNan. “It’s all about the culture, the people, so it was a no-brainer that we would host a watch party.”Getting to New JerseyHow transportation to matches would go was a major storyline coming into the World Cup. In the end, fans faced the same troubles at any major sporting event. Train lines were an hour or more from Saturday’s Haiti vs. Scotland match in Foxboro, Massachusetts. In Dallas, fans lauded a well-organized bus system.A Bloomberg reporter traveled via train to MetLife Stadium in New Jersey from Manhattan for Brazil’s draw with Morocco without incident — even though it did cost $98.Ayoob Musanovic, a recent graduate of Western Connecticut University and Morocco fan, said his travel to the match went fine. He took an Amtrak train to Manhattan and then a $20 shuttle to the match. But he did complain about paying $1,700 for a ticket.“This is what it is with capitalism,” Musanovic said. “But we’re here now regardless. We’re going to get behind the country.”The exorbitant ticket prices for this World Cup raised doubts about how packed the stadiums would be in the group stages. Critics have said FIFA set initial prices too high, which only pushed them higher on resale platforms.Many fans joined in the criticism, but in the end were willing to pay up because it means a lot to them.Hyunki Jo, 26, dished out $5,000 for his trip to Mexico to see South Korea play. Dressed in his red national team jersey and waving his country’s flag, he laughed and took pictures with Mexico fans. The countries have an unlikely bond that traces back to 2018 when South Korea stunned Germany in the World Cup to help Mexico advance to the knockout stage.“In the end, I don’t think it was that expensive,” he said. “I really wanted to come here and be at a World Cup.”In Toronto on Friday, Joshua Mathias and Binoy Dalmeida came straight from work to BMO Field. But they didn’t buy tickets because they were too expensive. The friends, who grew up in India, instead huddled in the shade outside the stadium and streamed Canada’s match on a phone while kitted out in the host nation’s red and white colors.“We thought at least we can come outside and get that aura of watching a World Cup match,” Dalmeida said.Sign up for Bloomberg’s Business of Sports newsletter for the context you need on the collision of power, money and sports, from the latest deals to the newest stakeholders. Delivered weekly.–With assistance from Miles J. Herszenhorn, Lorelei Smillie, Jessica Kim, Thomas Seal, Julie Fine, Vanessa Perdomo, Victor Swezey, Greg Ryan, Gonzalo Soto, Andrea Navarro and Joe Lovinger.(Additional context)©2026 Bloomberg L.P.