aaaaaaaq
The World Cup, which will be hosted across United States, Mexico and Canada, is taking place against the backdrop of escalating conflict involving the U.S., Israel and Iran.
The situation has already caused disruptions in football scheduling and logistics. The Iraqi Football Association recently requested that its intercontinental play-off match in Mexico be postponed due to airspace closures and visa complications linked to the regional security crisis.
Despite those concerns, Infantino focused on the scale and popularity of the tournament when speaking to Spanish publication AS.
“The World Cup is going to be fantastic, phenomenal. There’s unprecedented excitement in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
“In four weeks, we’ve had over 500 million ticket requests. This is incredible. We have almost seven million tickets, but 500 million is something never before seen in the history of FIFA or any other institution.
“Seventy-seven of the 104 matches have had over a million ticket requests, and the rest are around that number. We’re holding back some tickets for later in the tournament and for the final days. All the stadiums are going to be packed; it’s going to be a total party.
“When people said that soccer wasn’t highly regarded in the United States, that’s changed. It’s going to be a huge success. It will be the first World Cup with 48 teams, 104 matches, 16 cities, three countries… we’re facing something enormous. It’s more than a tournament, more than a sporting competition; it’s a social event that the world will stop to watch.”
However, the optimistic outlook contrasts with growing worries within the sport about security, travel restrictions and participation issues linked to the regional conflict.
Officials in Iran have already expressed uncertainty about their participation in the tournament, while Donald Trump recently offered a dismissive view regarding the nation’s World Cup hopes.
Immigration policies in the United States have also raised logistical concerns. Recently, Jamaican club Mount Pleasant F.C. reportedly had several players denied entry for a regional competition, highlighting the visa challenges teams and fans could face.
Andrew Giuliani stressed that strict security checks will remain in place, saying it would be unrealistic to “just open borders” given the current global security climate.
While FIFA continues to highlight record ticket demand and the tournament’s expanded format, 48 teams, 104 matches and 16 host cities, critics argue that high ticket prices and visa hurdles could prevent many ordinary supporters from attending the event.
