For the first time, the World Cup is being staged across the United States, Mexico, and Canada, with more teams, more games, and more money at stake than ever. But as FIFA prepares to collect billions, fans face soaring ticket prices and host cities shoulder l
The World Cup is here—bigger, louder, and stretching across borders.
For the first time, the tournament is taking place in three countries at once: the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Organizers say it’s the biggest version yet, with more teams, more games, more viewers, and more money on the line.
Behind the spectacle sits FIFA, the global governing body. The organization stands to take in billions from the tournament, an upside that comes with a hard-edged tradeoff for others who live with the bill. Fans are facing soaring ticket prices, and the costs don’t stop at the turnstiles.
Host cities are paying massive sums for transportation, security, and infrastructure—spending that can reshape budgets and public priorities in real time. The tournament’s pitch is unity, but the economics are more complicated once the price tags start adding up.
Human rights advocate Mustafa Qadri describes sport as something that can build connection across differences. “Sport is this incredible glue that brings people together,” he tells Reveal. But he argues that same glue can be used against people. It also makes the moment “highly vulnerable to cynical people coming in and exploiting it for their own gain. ” he says.
That tension—between a shared global celebration and the incentives that surround it—drives the episode of Reveal that looks beyond the matches themselves. Reporters Alex Shephard and Tim Murphy. along with Reveal producer Artis Curiskis. focus on the organization behind the tournament. the money surrounding it. and the politics that determine who gets access. who gets protected. and who ends up paying most.
The question the tournament leaves hanging is simple: in a World Cup designed to bring people together, who is positioned to enjoy it—and who is most exposed when the cost of that joy climbs?
World Cup FIFA ticket prices host cities United States Mexico Canada transportation security infrastructure Mustafa Qadri
Wait it’s in 3 countries now?? How is anyone supposed to afford that ticket.
FIFA taking billions sounds like it always does, but I’m more mad about my city spending on security when roads still suck. They act like it’s “for the fans” then the fans can’t even get in.
So is this saying the World Cup is kinda like a scam? Cuz they say it brings people together but then it’s all politics and who gets protected. I don’t even get the money part—like if FIFA is collecting billions then why are prices going up for regular people?
Honestly it’s just gonna be the same old thing: rich folks and corporations get the good stuff. They’ll call it unity but then charge like it’s a luxury event. Also, I heard Canada is paying more security costs because “terror stuff” or whatever, so… seems like fear is baked into it. I’m just trying to watch games without it costing my whole paycheck.