Jun 12, 2026 · 40 min · 10 segments
FIFA President Gianni Infantino promised the 2026 World Cup would be the biggest, most inclusive tournament in history. Instead, fans are being priced out by dynamic ticketing, supporters from…
Kristian Coates UlrichsenGuest
Jasmine El-GamalHostYeah, this is very unusual in the sense that most host nations jump at the chance to host a tournament of this magnitude.
And when it finally comes around, have often been the target of a lot of criticism in the run-up and are very keen to put their best face on when the actual game begins.
I think it's worth saying that when the bid was put together in 2018, most people assumed that President Trump would either win a second term in 2020 and leave office by 2025 in January, or he would lose in 2020 and leave politics.
I don't think there were very many people who imagined he would still be in office.
And for someone like President Trump, who likes the big occasion, he now has the World Cup and the Summer Olympic Games in 2028 on his watch.
He keeps the FIFA Club World Cup trophy behind his desk in the Oval Office.
So he clearly has a sense of the big occasion, which makes it all the more odd that the face the U.S. has shown over the past few weeks really has not been positive.
that laid bare the differential access given to people from around the world, depending on where you're from, what background you have.
And perhaps it's becoming obvious to people that don't follow politics as closely, but to a much wider audience who may be just dimly aware of this.
But now, because it's the World Cup, it's football, it's become so obvious.
It's really hitting through and doing a lot of damage to the U.S., So that's the backdrop.
It's the first one to take place in three different countries, US, Canada, Mexico.
Obviously, Mexico and Canada relations have been very strained over the past 18 months as well.
First time ever that a host nation is effectively at war with one of the participating nations, Iran.
Yeah, this is very unusual in the sense that most host nations jump at the chance to host a tournament of this magnitude.
And when it finally comes around, have often been the target of a lot of criticism in the run-up and are very keen to put their best face on when the actual game begins.
I think it's worth saying that when the bid was put together in 2018, most people assumed that President Trump would either win a second term in 2020 and leave office by 2025 in January, or he would lose in 2020 and leave politics.
I don't think there were very many people who imagined he would still be in office.
And for someone like President Trump, who likes the big occasion, he now has the World Cup and the Summer Olympic Games in 2028 on his watch.
He keeps the FIFA Club World Cup trophy behind his desk in the Oval Office.
So he clearly has a sense of the big occasion, which makes it all the more odd that the face the U.S. has shown over the past few weeks really has not been positive.
that laid bare the differential access given to people from around the world, depending on where you're from, what background you have.
And perhaps it's becoming obvious to people that don't follow politics as closely, but to a much wider audience who may be just dimly aware of this.
But now, because it's the World Cup, it's football, it's become so obvious.
It's really hitting through and doing a lot of damage to the U.S., So that's the backdrop.
It's the first one to take place in three different countries, US, Canada, Mexico.
Obviously, Mexico and Canada relations have been very strained over the past 18 months as well.
First time ever that a host nation is effectively at war with one of the participating nations, Iran.
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