By Han Bing The World Cup draw ceremony ended with grandiose noise, and the main concern now is whether the US, Canada, and Mexico have made sufficient preparations for next year’s World Cup?

Consider the volunteers, staff, chefs, journalists, and even some former players and elderly VIPs who waited two hours in minus 4°C snowy wind just to enter before the draw ceremony. They all had to endure the harsh cold... Clearly, such conditions do not inspire confidence in the logistics and security arrangements for next year’s World Cup. Moreover, during last July’s Copa America final, there was a stampede at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium caused by excessively long security lines.

It’s obvious the hosts have not learned from past mistakes. For a draw ceremony accommodating only 2,000 people, the organizing committee forgot to inform attendees that entry required passing through three scanners and one security gate. Now imagine the inevitable heat and thunderstorms next summer, the tightly packed schedule, traffic around some stadiums, and issues with pitch replacements. At present, there is no clear evidence that the hosts are fully prepared.

Weather and transportation remain the top challenges

Thirty-two years ago, during the 1994 USA World Cup, high temperatures already caused difficulties for many teams. This summer’s Club World Cup saw heat so intense that matches had to include extra hydration breaks, and substitutes even fled the scorching benches to watch the game from air-conditioned locker rooms. Meteorologists predict that next June and July, the US will experience even hotter weather than this summer, with average midday temperatures around 35°C and pitch surface temperatures exceeding 40°C.

Next year’s World Cup will feature 27 matches at noon and 17 matches at 3 p.m. local time, all under intense heat. Out of the 11 host stadiums in the US, only two have roofs. The MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, hosting five group matches and four knockout games, has metal seats. FIFA rules allow hydration breaks when the temperature exceeds 32°C, typically around the 30th and 75th minutes. Matches starting at noon, 3 p.m., or 5 p.m. will almost certainly qualify for these breaks, but two hydration pauses per game are clearly insufficient. The longer players endure the heat, the more the match quality and player health will suffer.

Besides the heat, the Club World Cup has shown that thunderstorms severely disrupt matches. During the tournament, six games were delayed by storms, including Chelsea vs. Benfica, which was interrupted with only four minutes left and delayed nearly two hours. That match ended in a penalty shootout and lasted 4 hours and 38 minutes, a grueling ordeal for teams and fans alike. Next year’s host cities New Jersey, Atlanta, and Miami are all thunderstorm hotspots, posing serious risks for smooth World Cup operations. Atlanta’s stadium has a retractable roof, but New Jersey and Miami’s venues are open-air, increasing the likelihood of storm-related delays.

In addition to extreme weather, the World Cup host cities stretch across North America’s east and west coasts—from Vancouver in the north to Mexico City in the south—resulting in long flight times between matches. FIFA requires teams to arrive at least 48 hours before their next game, further limiting rest periods. Although group stage matches are mostly arranged within the eastern, central, and western US and Mexico, minimizing travel time, teams like France (Group I), Portugal (Group K), and England (Group L) have only four days between their last two matches, leaving little preparation time. England’s coach Thomas Tuchel has stated that, since most group matches are near the East Coast, their originally planned training base in Kansas City must be moved eastward to allow more preparation time.

High ticket prices and commuting issues may deter fans

Heat and storms also affect fan experience, but the biggest concern now is the steep ticket prices. FIFA’s dynamic pricing for next year’s World Cup means the most expensive tickets could be nearly five times the cost of those at the 2022 tournament, with final match tickets priced up to $6,730. Group stage tickets start at $60 but enter a fluctuating price range after October. FIFA learned from the Club World Cup’s overpriced tickets, but given the World Cup’s greater appeal, ticket prices are expected to rise significantly. Current projections estimate $3 billion in revenue from ticket sales and hospitality services.

Not only tickets, but fan spending during the World Cup will also be high. Parking at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, hosting the semifinals and final, costs up to $175, and all this revenue goes directly to FIFA tax-free. FIFA has announced that total revenue for the 2023-2026 World Cup cycle will reach $13 billion, with about $9 billion from the World Cup alone. Unsurprisingly, this income comes from high ticket prices, World Cup intellectual property and merchandise, broadcast rights, and sponsorship deals.

Beer sales inside stadiums generate the largest income, but beer prices vary greatly across venues. At Mexico’s Guadalajara stadium, beer costs only one-fifth of what it does at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium, which has some of the highest prices. In San Francisco and Los Angeles, a liter of beer costs about 210 Chinese yuan.

Besides high prices, commuting to some stadiums during the World Cup will be very inconvenient for fans. The MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, hosting the most and most important matches, requires fans arriving from the nearby Meadowlands Sports Complex train station to walk half an hour in the heat to reach the entrance. They also face likely traffic jams and long security lines, making waiting times in the heat even longer. During this year’s Club World Cup semifinal between Real Madrid and PSG, traffic delays caused the team bus to arrive late, postponing the match start by 10 minutes. Fifteen minutes after kickoff, some fans were still completing security checks.

Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, hosting seven World Cup matches, faces similar issues. Although adjacent to a highway, it lacks nearby train or subway stations. Fans must arrive three hours early before road closures, and post-match curfews force them to walk 20 minutes to designated taxi pickup points outside the stadium.

For fans eagerly awaiting this football festival, it is essential to prepare mentally for all possible worst-case scenarios in advance.