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Why the 2026 World Cup Might Be an Absolute Disaster
10 Plays11 days ago
The 2026 World Cup is supposed to be the biggest tournament ever — but what if bigger doesn’t mean better?
In this episode of the Daily Newcastle Podcast, we dive into why the North American World Cup could become one of the most chaotic, overpriced, poorly scheduled, and fan-unfriendly tournaments in modern football history.
From bloated expansion and brutal time-zones… to NFT ticketing schemes, outrageous dynamic pricing, dangerous heat conditions, and a commercial strategy that puts profit miles ahead of supporters — we break down the four massive red flags that could derail the entire event.
Is this tournament already doomed before the first whistle blows?
Or is everyone overreacting?
Let us know your thoughts — and buckle up, because this might be the most controversial episode yet.
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Transcript
Introduction and Apology
00:00:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello everybody and welcome back to the Daily Newcastle. And since we're stuck in the international break, I thought I'd talk about something slightly different, as you can tell by the title.
00:00:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
And before we get but do we do begin, i want to apologise to our American listeners because this is going to come across... a lot worse than it probably is, and it is not a reflection on our American soccer listeners. That is your one sucker for today.
00:00:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm not saying it again. um But I do want to um just reach out and just be it you know say, look, this isn't a reflection on American soccer.
Critique of the 2026 World Cup
00:00:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
I've said it again. I might just say it for the whole video now. um But more one of... ah FIFA and my reflection on them rather than the USA.
00:01:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
um So with that, I'm going to explain why i believe the 2026 World Cup is going to end up being one of the worst World Cups in recent memory.
00:01:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
i know, ah know, but just hear me out. I've got four primary issues and they are big reasons why I believe the tournament could be a complete disaster.
00:01:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
So let's get straight
Expansion Concerns
00:01:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
into it. The first is the expansion. Let's be honest, the World Cup was already massive. It had drama. It had shocks. It had moments that defined generations.
00:01:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Just think about that first goal in South Africa, for South Africa. The dance that goes with it, people still remember it and do it now. But now we're going from 32 teams to 48 teams.
00:01:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it's just a bit everyone's going to qualify now. it it's It's cool if your country normally struggles to qualify and being English. I'm probably a little spoilt by the fact that England are always, well, have always been at World Cups in my lifetime.
00:02:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
But let's be real, qualifying for the World Cup was already relatively easy. Now, it's basically an open-door policy for top nations, providing they haven't completely capitulated.
00:02:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Looking at you, Italy. And it's not just the teams that's the problem. I've got no real issues with the likes of Jordan, Uzbekistan, etc.
00:02:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
making it to the World Cup as long as they earn it. Which, credit to them, they have. um albeit in a different format.
Match Overextension
00:02:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
um But it's the it's the number of matches that we have. We go from 64 games in a standard tournament to 104 matches. That's right. 104. That's not World Cup.
00:02:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
matches that's right one hundred and fall that's no world cool That's not a Netflix series. That's Stranger Things Season 5 Levels of Overcompensation.
00:03:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it is absolutely mental. And you're thinking, hey, more football. That's good, right? And it is to a degree. But there is a breaking point in this. Smashes straight through it.
00:03:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Goes through the other side. And smashes the wall on the other side. of the On the building. It's that bad. Players now have to play an additional game. um In more spread out conditions, think there's an extra seven days, which you know for players, that isn't too bad.
00:03:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
But given the climate, travel distances, etc. Let's be honest, if FIFA are trying to tell us this is about growing the game, there isn't a single person that doesn't think this is clearly about growing the old bank account.
00:03:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Not that. Qatar left that to any of the imagination. And the truth is, as a fan of football, if Tunisia and Australia and Qatar pushed your enthusiasm to the limit, are you really going to stay up until 2am to watch Paraguay vs Jordan?
00:04:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because I'm certainly not. Actually, you know what? My drunken ass probably would convince me to do just that. Because I could see Miggy Almiron smile. Yeah.
00:04:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't think many will be like that, though.
Time Zone Challenges
00:04:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then that brings me on to um the second issue that I have, really. And that is the time zones, which is going to be the silent viewership killer.
00:04:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
Let's talk about time zones, because if you're outside of North America, you are finished. Let's take the opening game, Mexico City. Mexico will come up against an opposition unknown at this moment.
00:04:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
It'll likely kick off at 8pm local time, just like the first game of the Liga Mexican season ah this year. Now that is brilliant for the game in Mexico, in North America.
00:05:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
For the UK, that's 2am. And I'm fully aware the UK is just a small island in the middle of Europe that doesn't even want to be in Europe. So who gives a rat's ass about them?
00:05:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
um But for the rest of the world, Germany, France, Italy, 3am. China, the largest World Cup viewership in the world for guitar.
00:05:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
again That game in particular would kick off at 10am. And the earlier matches would start at 4, 6 and 8am. Qatar, 8pm matches will start at 5am.
00:05:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
So you've got Europe, Asia, Middle East, global viewership for this particular World Cup. Let's be honest. going to be gone people aren't going to be watching in those areas as certainly as much as what they used to 50 million watched alone from the uk another 150 combined from france germany italy um in china i believe it was almost eight or nine times that i did have the figure i can't remember off the top my head um but china was the mass biggest by a country mile and it was triple what it was in the us who were below indonesia
00:06:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
So, it's going to be one of those where, yes, American viewership will skyrocket and because you have to deal with it all the time for these tournaments in Europe, it is probably about time that there was a World Cup that suited America and northern and Mexico and Canada.
00:06:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
um But they are praying and relying on Americans to fill the largest viewership gap in World Cup history.
00:06:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
And to be honest, if any group of fans can, it probably is Americans. But what percentage of Americans truly care about soccer?
00:07:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Let's be honest, if soccer was on at the same time as American football, 90% of Americans would watch American football. And that is a big problem in the US for those that want to grow soccer.
00:07:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
um Yes, I'm sticking with soccer now. um Even FIFA's own people like Victor Montagliani has basically admitted in interviews that they've messed this up.
00:07:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
um ah he hasn't admitted that they've done it for their own financial gain, but I can't really blame them for not bringing that one up. But now they're stuck between protecting the players and protecting the audience.
00:07:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
um And to be honest, they might just fail at both.
Player Welfare Issues
00:07:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
And the reason they're going to be looking at protecting the players is pretty much because of the same issues that we were having with the Club World Cup.
00:08:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
If you remember the Club World Cup in America this year, um Well, players were all over the place. Enzo Fernandes being the example that sticks in my head. Having to lie down on the floor in the middle of a game because it was just too hot and he couldn't play.
00:08:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
And Diego Simeone's had let the Come Madrid. I think they went, obviously, for the financial gain. But when they were out there, they were probably thinking... but goodoo we're not having this because this is absolutely dreadful.
00:08:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
However, Simeone would say that in his native language, and he'd probably be a lot worse about it than I was just there. um you know You're talking dangerous heat levels and 90% of stadiums in the US that have been picked for this World Cup aren't suited to that kind of tournament. I think five have proper roofs and cooling systems to manage it.
00:08:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
The rest are, well, going to have be pushed to later in the evenings to aid players to make sure that they can actually play. And what this could mean if we want to look at it from a positive perspective, is that it could mean we have the first African World Cup winner.
00:09:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
It could mean that we see Mexico and the US s defy the odds and get further into the competition. Maybe we don't see such a dominance from European teams, which is good for the competition as a whole.
00:09:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think what we'll likely see is teams like Brazil and Argentina, maybe Uruguay, Colombia, they'll start to push a bit further into the competition this year. They'll look harder to beat because of the climate.
00:09:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
And yeah you'll actually start to see teams, maybe such as Norway, the UK, really struggle. teams such as the UK, England, Scotland, Wales, etc. Whichever ones actually qualify for the competition.
00:09:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
England are the only ones that have so far and let's be honest, England didn't exactly do very well with heat. um But Between the time zones, player issues, it's a domino effect, and it's pretty much a big, hot, sweaty, poorly scheduled mess.
Fan Attendance Worries
00:10:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
um But that's not all. Like, the Club World Cup... Some matches had less than 15,000 fans. Fans didn't care about group stage games. And to be honest, I can't really blame them.
00:10:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
If I'm not a football fan who wants to watch every game, I'm not looking at tickets for teams such as Mamelodi Sundowns and thinking, I need to go to that game. And that's nothing against Mamelodi Sundowns because some of their games are actually really, really entertaining and they put on a show.
00:10:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
um But... Scalpers bought those tickets in droves and they failed to resell for more than $10 for certain games when they found out who was going to be available for each game.
00:11:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I checked seat pick during the Club World Cup just to just when I was looking just to be like, oh, how much would it actually cost to go to a game while we're over there? And some games, like Juventus versus Manchester City, massive amounts of money it would cost.
00:11:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Others...
00:11:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
I could have gone to 10 Club World Cup games for less than £300. And that is roughly how much it would take for me to get over to America.
00:11:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Is it value for money? Absolutely. But those tickets just didn't sell in the end because there wasn't an interest and it ruined the tournament in the early stages. yeah You were looking at these kind of games with really low attendances in it. It felt like pre-season, and there's a real risk that these group stage games at the World Cup feel like the friendlies that you used to get before the World Cup.
00:12:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
I do have one major issue um to get to. They were the first three there. um two and three have kind of blended together but before we get into that i'm going to go into our advert um that we always do on the podcast and this one is of course by unique
00:12:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
The World Cup.
Ticketing Complications
00:13:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
The biggest show on earth.
00:13:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it's going to be ruined because of ticketing trauma. Real fans are going to get priced out for those that live in the Hollywood Hills and are happy to pay four five grand to just get a ticket.
00:13:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it gets even worse really because NFTs have been added to the as a little plot twist to ticketing. And you might be sitting there thinking, what the are you talking about, Michael?
00:13:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
um And to be honest, I was thinking exactly the same thing when I was reading it. The yeah tournament is usually built on passion, loyalty, and the most important thing is the fans.
00:13:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
I remember um in Qatar seeing Moroccan fans in the stadiums dancing. so of Teams from these African nations, they've got such a loyal fan base who, because they go to games in Qatar, because they were, I believe I was seeing and tickets for the equivalent of $10 to get into these games,
00:14:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
It was one of those where you were looking at it and going, wow, that's brilliant. They were managing to get their fans across, create an atmosphere that was unlike anything else. And I remember seeing fans just dancing in the stadiums with us when the teams would score, and would...
00:14:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
and it would It would bring a real good atmosphere and it was the kind of thing that made you want those teams to progress further. And when you saw them, you went, well, all right, Senegal are playing here, Morocco are playing here.
00:14:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
I remember that. You know what? Let's put it on and see if anything like that happens again. It's something additional to the football and it's entertainment. That's what football is. It's an entertainment it's part of the package But for 2026, it doesn't look like that's going to be possible because for the first time ever, fans are not just buying tickets.
00:15:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
They're buying the right to buy passes through NFTs. For those that don't know what an NFT is, it's a digital token that will only give you the chance to buy a real seat later.
00:15:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Basically, it's a little pop-up image on your phone, you know, like the ones you download off Google. Yeah, you're not even buying a ticket. You're buying permission to maybe buy a ticket.
00:15:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
And these passes, some will cost hundreds, some will cost thousands. I believe the price I was seeing was around $500 for the quarterfinals. It was the one that really popped up and stood out to me.
00:15:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
um But that's before you've even seen the price of an actual ticket. Now, let's say you do have a major... but I don't know what I'd call it.
00:15:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
A major problem when you've bought the NFTs. Or maybe you're just really, really into football. um Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. But now you've got your NFT.
00:16:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
You're ready to buy your ticket. And then comes dynamic pricing as bad as the first Oasis reunion gig. ah Just like an airline ticket, the price goes up the moment demand spikes.
00:16:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
So that lovely tickets from $60 line, technically it's true. But those are a tiny batch in the nosebleeds which will be gone in seconds.
00:16:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Group stage tickets in good sections. You're expecting them to be a bit more expensive but they'll be hundreds. For the knockouts games, you'll be lucky if they're in hundreds for the big teams.
00:16:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
And the final... wow same for any final, but it's thousands. And that is going to be even before resale starts. Dynamic pricing is going to be a really big issue.
00:16:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
And you're probably going to have um yeah FIFA just before the tournament doing exactly the same as what Liam Gallagher did and going... Who paid two grand for a ticket? It's in their first game and everyone will just raise their hands because we're all little puppets that still buy these kind of things.
00:17:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it's it is disgraceful, to be honest. It's something that's going to really ruin the World Cup. You're going to have people... You know, I'm not even going to get into that because... It's going to
Scalping and Resale Risks
00:17:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
get ugly.
00:17:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
And the only other thing that's ugly is the resale of these kind of tickets. NFT passes can be traded, which means prices will skyrocket before these tickets even exist. Fans become investors.
00:17:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Investors become scalpers. And the bidding war begins. I'm going to be sitting there trying to get a ticket against Logan and Jake Paul. And let's be honest, I ain't got the money they do.
00:17:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I'm going to really, really struggle. Four or five figures for a football ticket for the average fan. It's not just unfair. It's impossible. And if i try if I have to watch Jake Paul try and kick a ball again, i probably will.
00:18:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
rip my eyes out um but that's not the worst bit although it is pretty bad how often do you see scalpers for gigs and big matches selling tickets for 10 to 15 times their actual price i remember watching um trying to get a ticket for newcastle's carabao cup final win over the liverpool um yes i'll get that in anywhere that i can And tickets were going for 1,200 at the semi-final stage.
00:18:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then when we actually got through, was up to 1,600, 1,800. The cheapest you were getting was 1,400 in the nosebleeds of Wembley. So getting tickets as a genuine fan is going to be hell. And for those that are attempting it, good luck.
00:18:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
And if you manage it without overpaying, I salute you. You're better than me. Um... That's pretty much it. It's one of those where it is about money.
00:19:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's all this World Cup is going to be. And it's all the one in Qatar was as well. All the one in Russia was. And there's still decent tournaments. um But the World Cup is losing its identity very, very slowly.
00:19:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
And this feels like the culmination. The festival of culture. where students, family, diehard fans all come together for a pure love of football. They'll all be staying at home in 2026.
00:19:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Because corporate guests, influencers, and anyone with a crypto wallet fat enough to outbid anyone else is going to be there. When football loses its soul, the tournament loses its magic, and that is exactly what is happening here.
00:19:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
World Cup shouldn't feel like a luxury cruise where I haven't got a chance of going on it. You don't have a chance of going on it, more than likely. And we'll all be outbid by the biggest bidder.
00:19:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
There shouldn't be a strategy behind trying to figure out what game you can go to. And it shouldn't shut out the fans who made it what it is. Fans are going to get priced out. The World Cup probably won't even feel like the World Cup ah in 2026.
00:20:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it's going to be a real, real big problem. um And again, just to take it back to the player aspect of it.
Health Risks and Hopes for Africa
00:20:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
What we saw in the Club World Cup with Enzo Fernandes, etc. and Adelaide, Co Madrid.
00:20:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
you know It's a real danger for players in these conditions conditions because when it's that hot between noon and 5pm, sweating will stop working, it'll stop cooling people down, fatigue will turn into nausea, cramping will turn into into external heat stroke and you're going to see some players really, really struggling.
00:20:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
um And for me, it's going to be one of those where I'm still going to enjoy the tournament. I'm going to stay up till 2am probably to watch the matches. And I am probably the problem um because no matter what they do, I'll still probably watch.
00:21:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
um And it could still deliver great football, the World Cup in 2026. It could still give us iconic moments, unbelievable goals, underdogs rising to the top of the food chain, the whole lot. If we have an African winner, it will go down as one of the greatest tournaments of all time, purely because it's the first time that's happened.
00:21:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
But when you take the issues mentioned here, The bloated expansion of the tournament, the brutal time zones, the ticking and fiascos, the dangerous heat, and the fact that it's all just there for profit, ah profiting off the fans.
00:21:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
And that's before you get into the issues surrounding American politics, player visa issues, climate issues, Surrounding the significant travels and the, tobi ah and to be honest, the significant issues that American people are battling against every single day, you you cannot help but worry.
00:22:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's going to be potentially one of the most inaccessible, inconvenient and commercialized World Cups ever. And they might not even get the viewership that they're after.
00:22:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
So let me know what you think. Is the 2026 World Cup already doomed? Or am I just being really, really pessimistic? Which, for anyone that listens to this podcast regularly, that is virtually what I'm known for.
00:22:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
um But drop your thoughts in the comments if you've enjoyed this. Be sure a like, subscribe and all that good stuff. Do do a lot of things like this for Newcastle, which is obviously our primary...
00:22:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
interest on this channel, but as I'm having to watch England versus Albania instead of, well, Newcastle struggling to score goals and you know what, maybe England versus Albania ain't that bad.
00:22:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
um But the World Cup going forward, it might be the worst of all time. Thanks for watching and let's hope the world's greatest event isn't ruined by FIFA.
00:23:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
See you next time.