World Cup 2026 expansion hits costs, flights, and security

For many fans, World Cup 2026 won’t feel like a simple jump in scale—it will feel like a new budget and a new set of logistics. With flights replacing free transit, hotel demand is reportedly already lagging, while governments are pouring hundreds of millions

By the time fans land in the host countries, they’re already hit with the shift that matters most: this World Cup won’t move people around like a single-city event.

An average visitor is expected to spend around $5,400 in the US. That’s far above the $720 to $2,500 visitors to Qatar spent in 2022.

Transport is the clearest reason why. This tournament’s footprint is so spread out that it can’t rely on the kind of in-city travel that defined earlier editions. During Qatar 2022—and also in one-city tournament logistics in Russia in 2018—there was free public transportation. backed by an additional 500 trains to help people get around.

In the US and beyond, the math changes. Because of the vast distances, the only option for fans and teams is flights. Airlines have been adding services to accommodate potential World Cup travelers.

“Teams and fans now must factor in flights, not metro rides, and the carbon and cost implications are real,” Anagnostopoulos says.

That extra step could also blunt another ripple effect: where visitors were once booked into hotels almost automatically. some aren’t getting there. The need to book flights. not trains or taxis. may be decreasing demand for hotels simply because travel costs are too high for some people. “US hotels are already reporting bookings below expectations,” Anagnostopoulos says. “Scale doesn’t guarantee the crowds will show up.”.

The security bill for the bigger tournament is just as steep—and it starts long before anyone reaches a stadium.

For organizers and host cities. the scale of the event demands massive investment in security. including against threats that might not have been front-of-mind for previous hosts. The US federal government has issued $625 million in grants for host cities to address security issues. On top of that. the Department of Homeland Security has made over $200 million worth of grants available to states to buy anti-drone technology.

The push isn’t abstract. The US State Department has highlighted hostile actors’ increasing access to drones and other technology.

Canada is funding its own layer of protection. Federal authorities there have issued around $104 million worth of grants to host cities Vancouver and Toronto. That puts total public grants in Canada and the US alone at nearly $1 billion—likely only part of the real costs of securing the tournament.

The challenge isn’t only the number of systems. It’s where they sit.

The tournament’s size, plus the fact that it crosses borders, has pushed the price tag higher. “Qatar 2022 benefited from a highly compact geography, with venues operating within a relatively unified environment. The 2026 World Cup will involve multiple cities. jurisdictions. agencies. and technology ecosystems across the United States. Canada. and Mexico. ” says Leo Levit. chair of Onvif. a membership body focused on standardization of physical security products.

“The challenge is not simply the number of systems involved, but whether those systems can exchange information efficiently,” he adds.

There’s a similar uncertainty around what all this spending is meant to buy. The numbers tell a story of a tournament straining under its own ambition—yet it’s not yet clear whether these investments will pay off in terms of tickets bought and advertising slots sold.

So why pursue growth at all costs?

One answer points straight at competition from other sports. Simon Chadwick, professor of sport and geopolitical economy at the international SKEMA Business School, says FIFA’s aim may be keeping football from slipping as other leagues widen their reach.

“What [FIFA president Gianni] Infantino is trying to do is to ensure that football remains robust. relevant. prominent and that it doesn’t begin losing market share—to the NBA. which is in China. India. Africa. and the Gulf region; to the NFL. which is making moves on Europe; and to Formula One. which has grown hugely in popularity. particularly in North America. ” Chadwick says.

For fans. the biggest question lands much closer to home: will the promise of a bigger tournament translate into buyers who can afford the flights. the hotels. and the full price of travel?. For host governments. the question is even sharper—can so much security spending actually keep pace across cities. jurisdictions. agencies. and technology ecosystems when the event’s geography is the very thing driving the costs higher?.

World Cup 2026 FIFA air travel hotel bookings security grants anti-drone technology physical security standardization Onvif Gianni Infantino