More and more fans around the world are giving up their already purchased tickets for the 2026 World Cup. This trend should not be interpreted as a fad or a passing wave of dissatisfaction, but as a clear signal that part of the football audience no longer recognizes the direction in which the world’s biggest competition is going.
The reasons for canceling tickets are not only of a financial nature, although the prices of tickets, accommodation and travel are simply unsustainable for many. The real problem is deeper – it is about the feeling that football is moving away from its fans.
The organization of the tournament in three countries, with huge distances between the host cities, turns the fan experience into a logistical and financial undertaking. The expanded format with 48 national teams further stretches the competition, reduces the importance of individual matches and makes following the tournament more difficult than ever.
But what especially irritates the football crowd is the increasingly open politicization of sports.
Symbolic political gestures, the idea of “peace prizes” and the inclusion of controversial political figures in football ceremonies are repulsive, not enthusiastic, for many fans. People don’t come to stadiums for messages and protocols, but for the game, the emotion and the sense of community.
An additional problem is the social climate in the United States of America. Protests, political polarization, harsh rhetoric and an often aggressive police approach create the impression of a country where fans can hardly feel relaxed and welcome.
In contrast, previous hosts of major competitions have shown that when the state has clear authority and control over the security situation, mass sporting events can function at the highest level. The example of the World Cup in Russia showed how a strong state organization can ensure order, security and a stable atmosphere for fans from all over the world.
The United States, even under the administration of Donald Trump, is so far failing to send such a message of security and control. Instead, the public is dominated by an image of internal divisions, social tensions and insecurity – which creates a sense of unease among many fans.
Football lives on the streets, songs, flags and spontaneity. Not from police cordons, political messages and a constant feeling of tension. When that feeling of freedom disappears, what makes soccer special also disappears.
That’s why the cancellation of tickets is not a political protest, but a rational decision by some fans who concluded that this World Cup does not offer them what they have been traveling to big tournaments for years – an authentic football experience.
FIFA can organize a spectacle for sponsors and VIP guests, but without real fans in the stands and on the streets, the World Cup loses its soul.
Football does not need a political stage.
Football needs fans.
