The 2026 FIFA World Cup is on track to become the largest tournament ever held, and that scale may come with a price tag fans, teams, and host cities feel immediately. Canada, Mexico, and the United States will share hosting duties across 16 cities, four time zones, and thousands of miles, with 48 teams competing in an expanded format that moves beyond the traditional 32 team field.
Ticket prices and travel costs have drawn global attention. FIFA has faced criticism for rates that appear to push many everyday supporters out of the market, while hotel prices in host cities across all three nations are reportedly surging. Industry figures cited in recent reporting suggest average attendance costs in U.S. host cities could run above $5,000 per person before flights between venues are counted, with average visitor spending in the United States projected around $5,400. That figure sits well above the $720 to $2,500 range visitors spent during Qatar 2022.
Average attendance cost in the US host cities is running north of $5,000 a head, before you've factored in flights between venues.
Transportation looks fundamentally different from recent editions in Qatar and Russia, where public transit and added rail service helped move crowds within a compact footprint. Because of the distances involved in 2026, flights appear to be the primary option for fans and teams moving between venues, and airlines have reportedly added routes to meet potential demand.
Teams and fans now must factor in flights, not metro rides, and the carbon and cost implications are real.
Those combined travel expenses may already be affecting hotel demand. Christos Anagnostopoulos, an assistant professor in sports management at Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Qatar, said U.S. hotels are already reporting bookings below expectations.
Scale doesn't guarantee the crowds will show up.
Security spending has climbed alongside the tournament's footprint. The U.S. federal government has issued $625 million in grants to host cities for security needs, while the Department of Homeland Security has made more than $200 million in grants available to states for anti drone technology. In Canada, federal authorities have issued around $104 million in grants to Vancouver and Toronto, bringing combined public grants in Canada and the United States to nearly $1 billion, likely only part of the full security cost.
Leo Levit, chair of Onvif, a membership body focused on standardization of physical security products, noted that Qatar 2022 operated within a relatively compact geography, while the 2026 World Cup will span multiple cities, jurisdictions, agencies, and technology ecosystems across three countries.
The challenge is not simply the number of systems involved, but whether those systems can exchange information efficiently.
FIFA's expansion push appears tied to defending soccer's place against growing challenger sports, and experts cited in recent coverage suggest future World Cups may only be viable as solo host nation projects for the richest or largest countries. For fans planning trips across North America, the headline numbers on tickets, flights, hotels, and security may define whether bigger truly feels better.
