The 2026 FIFA World Cup has gotten off on the wrong foot.
Wrong feet, actually.
The sponsoring organization first came under fire for prohibiting fans from bringing refillable water bottles to the matches.
They claim the bottles represent a safety hazard because fans might throw them onto the fields.
But after a public backlash FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) backed down, now saying it’ll allow them.
No sooner did it put that fire out than Canadian fans announce they were protesting the high ticket prices.
The 2026 games – there will be 104 this summer – begin June 11 across the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
When Canada takes to the field to play Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 12, it’ll be the first men’s World Cup match ever played on Canadian soil.
Lawrence Yee of Toronto told The Guardian he was dying to go to a match but now he’s putting his foot down due to the exorbitant ticket prices.
“Hearing the biggest stage, the highest competition, the biggest tournament in the world was coming into Toronto? I couldn’t believe it,” Yee said. “It’s the opportunity of a lifetime for someone like me. Being able to live in the city and cycle to the venue? I knew I’d be the first in line for tickets.”
No more. He said tickets costing as much as $1,000 each is insane, so he’ll stay home and hold a “watch party” in his TV room.
FIFA officials are defending the tickets, saying there are seats available for far less than $1,000.
But shockingly there are apparently a lof of empty seats for the upcoming games in Toronto and Vancouver.
A number of would-be fans are extending their protest even beyond the stadiums, threatening not to patronize local pubs to watch the games.
Canadian officials are hoping that the fans give the soccer promoters a reprieve, partly so the government can recoup the multi-million-dollar costs of hosting the games.
Cities bear the immense financial burden of hosting, while FIFA is able to take the revenue from ticket sales and broadcasting and pay no taxes on it.
The games will be played by 48 teams in 16 host cites in the three countries from June 11 until July 19.
The U.S. games are set for Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Seattle.
New York and New Jersey are jointly hosting games to be played in East Rutherford, NJ.
