With 50 days to go before the World Cup begins, FIFA and the tournament’s host nations are facing criticism over the broader social, political and logistical issues surrounding the global event.
Canada and Mexico will co-host the tournament with the United States, which along with Israel launched the war on World Cup participant Iran on February 28. While the war is currently under a fragile temporary ceasefire, Iran’s participation in the tournament remains uncertain.
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Fans in all three host nations are angry over exorbitant ticket prices, which has hurt sales and interest in the world’s most popular quadrennial sporting event.
Local politicians and the public have also expressed concern over rising transportation fares on routes connecting match venues in the United States.
Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at the growing concerns ahead of the tournament, which begins with the opening match between Mexico and South Africa on June 11:
What’s the latest on Iran’s participation in the World Cup?
Iran’s football team is preparing for the championship. However, officials say the final decision on the team’s participation will be taken by the government and the National Security Council after reviewing the safety of players in the US.
Iran said last month it would not participate in the tournament amid the war, especially if the host country could not guarantee the players’ safety. This followed a social media post by President Donald Trump, where he suggested that the safety and security of the Iranian team could not be guaranteed in the US, where the Iranians play all of their games.
The Iranian Football Federation then asked FIFA to move its games from the US to Mexico. FIFA rejected the request.
FIFA chief Gianni Infantino said last week that Iran “has to come” to the tournament.
Iran will play all its group stage matches on the US West Coast. If they advance to the knockouts, the remaining games will also be held in the US.
Excessive passenger fare prices in US host cities
Fans can expect to pay about 12 times the regular $12.90 fare for a round-trip train ride from Manhattan’s Penn Station to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, venue of the World Cup finals and seven other major events.
New Jersey Governor Mickey Sherrill and FIFA have scolded each other over the $150 price for the approximately 15-minute, 14 km (9-mile) ride; Sherrill said FIFA should cover the costs, while the world body hit back saying it was under no obligation to do so.
A train trip to Gillette Stadium in the Boston suburbs costs nearly four times the regular price ($20), while a round-trip bus fare to Foxboro is $95.
Host cities Los Angeles and Philadelphia have promised to keep their transit fares unchanged, while Kansas City is offering a $15 round-trip fare to Arrowhead Stadium. Houston said it has added buses and train cars to serve fans, but intends to keep fares at the current level: $1.25 for buses and light rail trains, and $2 to $4.50 for park-and-ride options.
High prices, low demand for match tickets
Skyrocketing ticket prices have angered fans as they say the prices drive supporters away from the tournament. The lack of ticket sales for blockbuster matches, including host US vs Paraguay, appears to be evidence of the high price.
FIFA put tickets on sale in December ranging from $140 for Category 3 in the first round to $8,680 for the final. Later, its price rose to $10,990 when sales resumed on April 1.
The North American bid initially promised that tickets would be available for as low as $21; However, the cheapest ticket is priced at $60. Most tickets for matches featuring higher ranked teams cost at least $200.
FIFA announced another round of ticket sales on Wednesday with a 50-day countdown. Tickets for all 104 matches will be available in Categories 1 to 3 on a first-come, first-served basis.
Protest against immigration raids during World Cup matches
The Trump administration’s push for mass deportations and its efforts to tighten legal immigration pathways have raised concerns about whether international World Cup spectators could be targeted by US immigration authorities.
Infantino was contacted last week to pressure Trump to avoid immigration raids at this year’s tournament. Reporters suggested that agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) were present at last year’s FIFA Club World Cup matches, although the Trump administration denied conducting enforcement efforts.
A report from The Athletic suggests that FIFA officials have framed the prospect of an immigration moratorium as a potential public relations boon for the Trump administration. It also indicated that officials hoped Infantino would take advantage of his friendly relationship with Trump to calm any immigration-related fears.
Violence in Mexico raises fears over tournament security
World Cup co-host Mexico is also in the news due to concerns over the safety of fans after a lone gunman opened fire on tourists near the country’s capital on Monday.
The accused opened fire on top of one of the Teotihuacan pyramids – a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Mexico’s most visited tourist attractions – killing a Canadian tourist and wounding 13 others.
It raised questions over the security protocols taken by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s government in view of the global football tournament.
Sheinbaum said Mexico will increase security ahead of the World Cup.
He said on Tuesday, “Our obligation as a government is to take appropriate steps to ensure that a situation like this does not happen again. But clearly, we all know – Mexicans know – that this is something that has not happened before.”
