Gianni Infantino told reporters to "chill out" when asked why the continent's top African referee was denied entry to the United States and sent home. That one moment — dismissive, tone-deaf, perfectly on-brand for Fifa — tells you almost everything about how this tournament has been run before a single ball is kicked.
Omar Artan, Somalia's top referee and the best on the African continent, was turned back at the US border under Trump's immigration policies. No appeal. No exception made for one of the sport's elite officials. Infantino's response was a shrug dressed up in press conference language. Meanwhile, ticket prices have spiralled out of reach for ordinary fans, with Fifa defending the system that caused it. The 2026 World Cup is being staged in a country where football doesn't crack the top three sports, managed by a governing body that has spent more energy appeasing a political administration than protecting the integrity of its own event.
The heat is the real wildcard
Strip away the politics and there's a genuinely compelling football tournament underneath. One factor that isn't getting enough attention: the climate. Across the US and Mexico, temperatures have climbed sharply in recent years. Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher, Roy Keane, and Ian Wright have flagged heat management as potentially the single most decisive factor in who goes deep in this tournament.
That's not a trivial point. It reshapes how you think about some of the lesser-fancied sides. Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan are all making their World Cup debuts — and all come from environments that would prepare them far better for North American summer heat than a squad flying in from northern Europe. If you're pricing up group stage upsets, that's a variable worth weighing.
France and Spain remain the two most talented squads in the field. But talent and tournament football aren't the same thing. France have the firepower — Mbappé chief among them — yet their history of internal implosion is too well-documented to ignore. Mbappé needs to contribute more off the ball. When he doesn't, France look like eleven individuals rather than a side.
Kane, Pickford, and England's ceiling
England's hopes run through Harry Kane, as they always do. But the more interesting conversation is about Jordan Pickford. Statistically, he's the best English goalkeeper in decades — and with knockout rounds potentially going to penalties, his positioning in the squad matters beyond shot-stopping. England's odds in shootout scenarios look considerably healthier than they did at previous tournaments.
And then there's Messi. Alan Shearer's assessment is blunt: Argentina's captain is one World Cup beyond his peak. Hard to argue. Harder still to imagine Argentina without him — he remains the emotional and tactical centre of the side regardless of age. What he does on this stage will define how his legacy is finally written.
The expanded 48-team format adds 40 matches to the schedule, bringing the total to 104. No one is watching all of that. But more teams means more chaos, more upsets, and more moments that nobody saw coming. The structure practically guarantees surprises.
Whether the tournament's off-field handling deserves the football it's about to host is a different question entirely.
