2026 World Cup kicks off with record number of participants and controversies
The 2026 FIFA World Cup starts Thursday with Mexico vs South Africa; the tournament is held across three countries with 48 teams, a record number of players, and several controversies.
The 2026 World Cup officially kicks off on Thursday as co-host Mexico takes on 2010 hosts South Africa. This year's expanded tournament features a record 1,248 players from 48 teams, playing 104 matches across Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
Host cities include Toronto and Vancouver in Canada; Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Monterrey in Mexico; and Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area, and Seattle in the US. Iconic stadiums such as Mexico City's Estadio Azteca, New Jersey's MetLife Stadium (host of the final), and LA's SoFi Stadium are among the venues.
First-time participants include Cabo Verde, Curaçao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan, coached by legendary Italian defender Fabio Cannavaro, relies on Manchester City talent Abdukodir Khusanov. Players represent 449 clubs from 71 countries. The youngest players are Mexico's Gilberto Mora (17), Czech Republic's Hugo Sochurek (18), Senegal's Ibrahim Mbaye (18), and Spanish wonderkid Lamine Yamal (18). The oldest are Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon (43) and Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo (41).
Spain, reigning European champions, are bookmakers' favorites despite injuries to Yamal and Nico Williams. France, with stars like Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, and Michael Olise, is a strong contender. Other favorites include Argentina (led by Lionel Messi), Thomas Tuchel's England, Brazil, and Germany.
Controversies have marred the build-up. Iran's team relocated to Mexico after some staff were denied US visas; later visas were granted. Switzerland striker Breel Embolo was briefly blocked from entry but later cleared. Somali referee Omar Artan was denied entry and returned home, sparking criticism. Uzbekistan's team faced extra security checks before a warm-up match, surprising coach Cannavaro.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino defended security decisions, saying host nations' rules must be respected. He also defended ticket prices, arguing money is reinvested into football. Group-stage tickets started at $140, with final seats up to $8,680; later, $60 "supporter entry tier" tickets were released. Football Supporters Europe (FSE) estimated it would cost a fan at least $6,900 to follow their team to the final, nearly five times the 2022 cost. Former England striker Ian Wright called it a "World Cup of chaos."
