Ticket pain and Trump anger, but still room for ‘magic’: how readers feel about the World Cup

With this summer’s tournament nearly upon us, Guardian readers share their mixed emotions - unease and apathy, but also excitement and optimism

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The 2026 World Cup is nearly upon us. Across 39 days beginning Thursday, 104 matches will be played throughout the United States, Mexico and Canada until a champion is crowned 19 July in New Jersey.

Amid the quadrennial excitement around the world’s biggest sporting event, there has also been intense controversy and scrutiny. Ticket prices, transport costs, climate threats and security concerns have left fans with mixed emotions.