On the heels of what is anticipated to be the most important World Cup in historical past, questions stay about whether or not the USA is suited to host the match. Alongside Canada and Mexico, the USA will host the 2026 World Cup, which is predicted to be essentially the most attended ever, which might break the report held by the 1994 World Cup, hosted by, you guessed it, the USA. Almost 2 million tickets have already been bought for the match forward of Friday’s draw, and the growth to 48 groups will imply extra coaching websites, extra followers, extra video games, and likewise extra stress assessments for the host nations.
The Membership World Cup in the course of the summer season of 2025 gave a glimpse of what to anticipate on the World Cup, and that raised issues, however on the intense aspect, they’re issues that may be labored by means of. A match that was saved by the soccer, it noticed shows of fan ardour however did not come with out hiccups, together with flares in stadiums, complaints about pitch high quality, and even tips on how to placed on a Beyonce live performance at some point and a soccer match the subsequent.
It is a match that was a spectacle each on and off the pitch, and whereas it was marked as being a trial run for the World Cup, it was additionally the most important Membership World Cup ever and a critical match that needed to be placed on.
“Regardless of some feedback that that is sort of a check occasion, this isn’t. That is the most important Membership World Cup ever made, and we’re actually completely happy to have the prospect to expertise first hand what is going on to be occurring subsequent 12 months, however anyway, for us, we’re not testing something,” Luis Castro, FIFA Match Director in New Jersey at MetLife, stated in the course of the competitors.
Whereas organizers say it wasn’t a check, that does not imply that there weren’t classes realized that may be taken to the World Cup. Six Membership World Cup Stadiums may even host matches subsequent summer season — Lincoln Monetary Subject in Philadelphia, Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Arduous Rock Stadium in Miami, Lumen Subject in Seattle, the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles, and MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
The World Cup host committees from every stadium weren’t concerned within the planning for the Membership World Cup, however the influence of followers in attendance was felt in every stadium.
“The 80,619 followers who attended the Paris Saint-Germain vs. Atlético de Madrid on the Rose Bowl are a part of the match’s largest attendance to this point and a testomony to the area’s ardour for the sport. “As certainly one of North America’s premier soccer cities, LA continues to show its readiness to host the world,” Jason Krutzsch, vp at Los Angeles Sports activities & Leisure Fee, stated.
The followers have been what helped make the match, from Boca Juniors followers taking on in all places they went to the success of Brazilian groups and Auckland Metropolis FC, however on the pitch, there’s meals for thought.
Grass is king
Enjoying surfaces have been an expertise for FIFA because of the diversified climates that the USA has to supply. Not solely are some stadiums domed, however some have warmth adopted by summer season thunderstorms, whereas others have dry warmth with no water. What was seen as a one-size-fits-all state of affairs the place grass is added to a soccer stadium was removed from it.
“For the Membership World Cup, you’ve a stadium in Seattle. And I’m going, cliche, you already know, for that time the place it rains an entire lot, and is completely completely different than from Miami, with the humidity and the warmth and the rain daily is completely completely different from Kansas Metropolis, you already know, the place it’s predominantly scorching, and then you definately go to an indoor stadium the place it is air conditioned, completely completely different climate,” AMB Sports activities and Leisure COO Dietmar Exler of the Atlanta organizing group stated. “Humidity within the constructing is managed, so everyone has a special setup. And it was as a lot a studying expertise for FIFA as for us.”
The grass needed to be particular for every venue, with some, akin to MetLife, needing a sturdy floor that may drain whereas additionally withstanding the summer season solar beating down on it, however others, like Atlanta, did not want the identical necessities because of the roof. Develop lamps had by no means been utilized in Atlanta, however they have been in a position to check and tweak issues with a view to create a taking part in floor that labored.
FIFA went into this open to study from the circumstances, and whereas there have been complaints about issues such because the bounce of the ball in sure stadiums, that is one thing that may even be checked out to make sure consistency in the course of the World Cup.
“That was a part of internet hosting right here as properly, and that analysis piece wasn’t simply 12 months, it will be 24 months, so we’ll report submit this match, and there can be quite a lot of takeaways from this six-week interval within the stadium going ahead to 2026 as properly,” MetLife pitch venue supervisor Blair Christensen stated in the course of the Membership World Cup.
Studying about pitch circumstances forward of time is one thing that can go an extended option to guaranteeing that FIFA and the host cities can create the perfect pitches attainable in every stadium.
Flares: Enjoyable for followers, a nightmare for attendance
Followers bringing flares into stadiums, whereas it was a present of ardour, can be one thing that may trigger large points. When Wydad confronted Manchester Metropolis in Philadelphia in the course of the Membership World Cup, a flare got here onto the pitch, touchdown proper behind Ederson within the web. Whereas the flare did not hit the previous metropolis keeper, it does present the hazards of them being allowed into stadiums throughout tournaments of this magnitude.
“We took the safety crew, and Chuck Huma, our head of safety, pushed for that very laborious. We went over to Germany, frolicked with the German Bundesliga. We frolicked in England at Manchester United of their stadium to go over every little thing. And we have been properly arrange. We had no flares utilized in our constructing,” Exler stated.
“However by the best way, we now have large packing containers of flares collected. We did, you already know, the thorough pat down of the followers once they got here into the stadium, after which once more, you already know, while you attain the fan sections, we did one other test. We had no flares.”
Flares are enjoyable to see in matches, however solely once they’re correctly organized, and issues like that, and pitch invaders are one thing that FIFA might want to preserve a decent lid on in the course of the World Cup. Copa America points, akin to followers entering into the stadiums with out tickets, have been already prevented by clear safety perimeters round every match and a number of ticket checks. These will solely be stronger because the World Cup rolls into city as a result of it is a mixture of displaying ardour whereas additionally guaranteeing that it is a family-friendly atmosphere for all in attendance.
Embracing the worldwide fandom is vital to success
The followers would be the key to the World Cup, particularly in relation to how cities put together for languages that they do not see typically. The official languages of FIFA are English, French, German, and Spanish, however in the course of the Membership World Cup, loads of cities additionally needed to accommodate followers whose main language was Arabic. When it isn’t simple to get to a few of these stadiums, it’s vital that signage is up to date with necessary data, and cities are getting ready for that forward of the World Cup draw.
“Based mostly on the suggestions we now have obtained up to now and what our crew skilled, one of many largest alternatives is in how we might help educate our residents and companies about how the followers coming right here really ‘fan.’ Our aim is to create an unforgettable fan expertise that’s each rooted in robust, superior preparation and attentive to fan and resident wants,” Meg Kane, Philadelphia Host Metropolis govt/CEO for Philadelphia Soccer 2026, stated. “We are going to contemplate each attainable touchpoint — from multilingual signage to cultural competency coaching to the place and the way followers will hunt down pre-and-post-match pints. There can be distinctive customs and cultural variations that we might want to navigate, from tipping to tailgating, and the FIFA Membership World Cup 25 served as an unimaginable studying expertise for us as a number metropolis.”
Getting ready not solely followers but in addition metropolis employees for various cultures is one thing that can must be completed to know when one thing could also be a cultural distinction versus a possible problem. Cities can higher put together for these features as soon as the draw occurs they usually know who’s coming to their cities, however this is without doubt one of the largest keys to a profitable World Cup.
With the ticket costs across the match, fan fests, eating, hospitality, and the way individuals work together once they aren’t at video games is what is going to decide if it is a success for these cities. Fan experiences from the Membership World Cup resonated in host cities, and if the identical occurs in the course of the World Cup, it may simply be the most important World Cup ever.
