This summer, the 2026 World Cup will take place in 16 cities across North America, making it the first World Cup to be hosted in the USA since 1994. 11 of the host cities are in the United States, including Mercedes-Benz Stadium, known as Atlanta Stadium during the competition, the home of Atlanta United FC and the Atlanta Falcons. Fans from all over the world will be coming to these cities, bringing their countries’ competitive atmospheres to North America and hoping to make an impact on the world stage. For students, the upcoming competition feels extra exciting with world-class footballers competing so close to home.
“[The World Cup] feels more [special] to me because I can actually be part of the magic of some of the most important games in the World Cup,” said Jorshua Mendez Alvarez (‘28). “Plus, just being able to see the players come to Atlanta, and to the [United] States in general, is awesome.”
Other students second this idea and focus specifically on how the atmosphere will add to the experience.
“I’m excited to be part of the spectacle with the fans. My parents have told me stories about when they went to World Cups around the world and how the fans celebrate the game, especially if it’s not a really high-stakes game. It’s just a good time,” said Ben Parks (‘27).
Similarly, Liam Leichle (‘28) has had thrilling experiences watching the World Cup games around the world and is hoping that same energy can be brought to Atlanta’s games.
“During 2022, I lived in France, and we had a bar right next to our house where all of our friends would go, and so we watched the games there. When Griezmann scored the penalty, we were all celebrating like crazy, and then they won the World Cup, and so [the atmosphere] was electric,” said Leichle. “But watching the 2022 World Cup [in the US] was kind of lame because we just watched it on TV, so I hope that the fact that it’s going to be here will make it more interesting.”
With the US hosting, some are already discontent with how the World Cup is being handled, with complaints ranging from the official songs to politics.
“People outside of the United States view the States differently than we do, especially from a socioeconomic and a political standpoint,” said Isabella Vila (‘29). “I’ve seen on social media that there are already plenty of people who are not happy about having to come to the United States to cheer for their teams.”
Nevertheless, many CHS students are heavily involved with soccer, and therefore are eagerly awaiting the start of the games.
“I always try to watch every single game, even if it wasn’t a game that my country, Argentina, was playing in because it was always really interesting to see which teams would win,” said Maximo Luciani (‘27).
For some students, attending a World Cup game feels like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
“I got super excited, mostly because I hoped to be able to watch a game, which has been one of my dreams,” said Mendez Alvarez. “I did get tickets to a game, so being able to see it live is going to be amazing, especially since it might not come to the United States for another couple of decades.”
However, the prices of tickets this year are making it difficult for many people to attend the games live. Tickets this year cost approximately 10 times more than tickets did four years ago to the games in Qatar, according to The Guardian. This means that many fans will be watching the games on TV.
“I can’t go to the games because it costs too much, so I’ll be watching them at home,” said Chris Alexander (‘29). “Don’t get me wrong, I want to see the teams play and see who wins, but not any more than a regular World Cup.”
Expensive transportation is another worry for many Americans looking to attend the Final games in New York. According to Associated Press, fans will be charged $150 for a round-trip train ride to MetLife Stadium- 12 times the normal rate for this route.
“Transportation costs will directly affect the games because if people can’t get to them easily, they’re going to lose interest, and then the games won’t have the atmosphere needed for a successful tournament,” said Vila.
Despite the logistical ups and downs surrounding the World Cup this year, students, such as Luciani, are excited about the upcoming games.
“It’s invigorating because each game, you don’t know whether your team will make it through or not,” said Luciani. “Plus, there are so many upsets that making it to the final or winning a game feels so much more rewarding, especially since the tournament is only once every four years.”
