When Ty Malugani of Alabama learned the 2026 World Cup would be hosted across the U.S., Mexico and Canada, he was thrilled. He imagined taking his four young children to their first World Cup — a chance to pass on his love of soccer and introduce the next generation to the game.
That excitement has mostly disappeared. The first shock was cost: the cheapest match featuring the U.S. would run his family nearly $1,600 just for upper-deck seats, and attending the U.S. opener would top $6,700. Confusing ticket categories, lottery systems and opaque rules from FIFA compounded the frustration.
But the final straw for Malugani was FIFA’s decision to award President Trump its new FIFA Peace Prize, honoring those “who have helped unite people all over the world in peace.” To him, the award signaled that FIFA is more interested in currying favor with powerful figures than serving ordinary fans.
“It felt very much like we’re not going to care about the fans, or the event itself,” he says. “We’re not going to care about anything other than trying to appease this one person in the hopes that they may benefit FIFA in some way.”
With weeks until kickoff, Malugani joins a rising number of supporters from the U.S. and abroad who say they’re so fed up — with FIFA, with U.S. policy, or both — that they plan to skip the tournament. FIFA pushes back, pointing to millions of ticket requests and the draw of superstars like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as evidence of unprecedented demand.
Still, several indicators suggest early interest may be softer than organizers expect. Jan Freitag, who monitors hospitality trends as National Director for CoStar Group, says he anticipates demand will build toward the knockout rounds and the final. But he notes that bookings for the tournament’s first half have been weaker than projected, blaming a mix of factors: ongoing global conflicts, high airfare, steep ticket prices and less compelling matchups in some group-stage pairings.
Hotels are reporting disappointing early occupancy as well. Rosanna Maietta of the American Hotel & Lodging Association says FIFA canceled a large block of rooms in certain host cities. While blocks and overbooking are common for major tournaments, the scale of these cancellations surprised hoteliers and undercut the early wave of business they had counted on. Overseas reservations in particular have come in lighter than expected, leaving hoteliers unsure how numbers will look once the event begins.
Beyond cost and logistics, some long-time fans say U.S. policy and security concerns are keeping them away. Kieran Maguire, a Liverpool-based professor and longtime soccer supporter, has attended past World Cups but says he won’t travel to this one. He points to new guidance that allows immigration officers to review social media histories for some visa applicants — a practice that could extend to travelers from visa-waiver countries — along with travel bans and restrictions the White House has imposed on about three dozen countries, including four with competing national teams.
Maguire also cites recent violent encounters involving ICE agents in U.S. cities, including fatal shootings, arguing that measures he views as repressive have made him uncomfortable about visiting.
The White House dismissed the criticism, calling the 2026 World Cup poised to be “one of the greatest and most spectacular events in the history of mankind.” A White House spokesman said President Trump is focused on delivering “an incredible experience for all fans and visitors” and ensuring the tournament is “the safest and most secure in history.”
For fans like Malugani, however, the decision to stay home is deeply personal. Beyond the financial burden, his greatest regret is that his children will miss the chance to experience the tournament live. He had hoped the event would help them fall in love with soccer the way he did. Instead, he worries the game has drifted out of reach for ordinary families.
“That to me is the worst,” he says. “Because I love the sport and I want future generations to love the sport. Hopefully things can turn around and maybe work out. But as of right now, it just feels like it’s a missed opportunity.”