FIFA World Cup 2026: Mexico Deploys 100,000 Troops Amid Cartel Fears, Protests

Shortly before 6pm local time on Friday night at the Los Angeles Stadium, the actor who plays Ted Lasso – the fictional manager of a fake team in a falsely heartwarming version of football – will tell hundreds of millions of TV viewers tuning in to watch the start of the American leg of the Fifa World Cup that football unites the world.

The 2026 World Cup kicks off on Thursday with a record 48 teams vying for the most coveted prize in football and a slew of controversies over ticket prices, geopolitical tensions and visa restrictions imposed by the Trump administration casting a pall over the beautiful game’s quadrennial extravaganza.

The world’s top soccer executives were preparing for a World Cup kickoff event last year in Washington, D.C., when FIFA president Gianni Infantino had a flash of inspiration.

Infantino and FIFA have come in for stinging criticism over the eye-watering costs of World Cup tickets while Donald Trump's immigration crackdown has seen a top referee, Iranian team officials and fans refused entry to the United States.