World Cup 2026: The Beautiful Game in the Grip of Savage Capitalism

Qatar spent nearly $220 billion to host the World Cup against $5.5 billion in returns. However, the situation is vastly different when it comes to the United States, which has turned this footballing milestone into an opportunity for unlimited enrichment and profit. "Savage capitalism" has tightened its grip on the world's most popular sport, transforming it from the primary "entertainment of the poor" into massive investment vehicles for the wealthy.

The first signs of this commercial dominance manifest in FIFA's decision to expand the tournament to 48 teams, increasing the number of matches to 104. This expansion aims to broaden the consumer base; every additional national team represents a new advertising market and more broadcasting rights. The result is a "footballing surfeit" that dilutes the event's exceptional value, turning the World Cup into something resembling amateur leagues in its early stages—where competitiveness vanishes and the gap between elite teams and newly qualified ones widens.

As the number of teams, matches, and fans doubles, profits multiply, turning everyone into mere cogs serving American corporations, particularly in the tourism sector. Stadiums have been distributed across the vast American continent, forcing players to travel astronomical distances exceeding 4,400 km between host cities. Here, FIFA disregards player safety in exchange for ensuring the "show" goes on and increasing broadcast hours. This has prompted players' unions to file legal challenges, fearing doubled exhaustion, disrupted circadian rhythms, and a potential 25% increase in muscle injuries.

FIFA has its own profit-driven reasons for expanding the World Cup's scope and geography, including the adoption of the "Asset-light model." This clever tactic aims to shed the burden of billion-dollar construction costs by selecting cities that already possess ready-made infrastructure and stadiums. By doing so, FIFA exempts itself from the exorbitant construction costs that burdened previous organizers. This approach represents a strategy to ensure a flow of net returns estimated at $11 billion, which will find their way directly into the coffers of FIFA's "Wealthy Club," far from any real investment in developing the game in impoverished regions.

More dangerous still is the exorbitant cost of tickets, which has surpassed prices of the previous World Cup by nearly tenfold. FIFA has adopted "Dynamic Pricing," a system that automatically raises prices as demand increases. Since tickets were put up for auction nearly a year before the tournament, prices have been rising daily; the price for a final match ticket has reached approximately $60,000, while the lowest price for group stage matches is no less than $2,000. When adding flight and accommodation costs, the World Cup has become an exclusive "Businessmen’s Club." For the ordinary fan in developing nations, who might have to work for years just to cover the cost of "visa security," the tournament has been transformed into a distinctly exclusionary event.

Added to this is the politicization of the World Cup by the U.S. government. Not all fans are welcome on its soil, as is the case for Iranian fans and supporters of many other qualifying teams. This does not mean the United States refuses their entry entirely, but it has imposed doubled visa fees alongside a "Visa Bond" program. This program requires fans from nearly 50 countries (including qualified nations like Tunisia, Algeria, and Senegal) to pay massive security deposits that can reach $15,000 to guarantee their departure after the tournament.