What North American Publics Expect from the 2026 World Cup

With the FIFA 2026 World Cup kicking off this week, the world’s eyes will turn to North America. Jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, the 2026 contest will be the largest yet, with 48 national teams all competing for the championship. But as is often the case with international sporting events, it has not come without controversy. As the United States and Iran are still at war, Iran’s national team only just received their visas to travel to the United States for games, with 11 other members of the Iranian group blocked from US travel. Organizers are also concerned about a tourism fizzle instead of an expected boom, with many hotel rooms still unbooked in US host cities. And if the US Department of Homeland Security follows though on threats to shutter customs operations at major US airports in retaliation for those cities’ “sanctuary city” policies, international travel into the United States would be massively disrupted. 

Despite these factors, a new Chicago Council-Ipsos poll fielded May 29-31 finds most Americans think the event will go well. Most say it will likely be a successful World Cup event (73%, 26% very likely) and economically beneficial for the country (72%, 27% very likely). A smaller majority of Americans believe the tournament will make the United States look like an attractive place to visit (59%, 18% very likely). But only a minority think it likely that the World Cup will bring the three North American countries together (44%, 53% not likely). 

Though the World Cup is not necessarily a partisan issue in the United States, partisanship does play a role in Americans’ expectations about the event. Republicans are more likely than Democrats or Independents to expect good things from the World Cup, and significantly more likely to expect that the World Cup will make the United States look like an attractive place to visit (77% Republicans, 55% Independents, 47% Democrats). 

But of course, the World Cup is not only in the United States this year—Canada and Mexico are also playing host. Polling by the Angus Reid Institute in Canada late last year found widespread concerns around cost, with most Canadians (71%) saying that hosting the World Cup is only worth if it revenues meet (32%) or exceed (39%) the costs of hosting the matches.  

In Mexico, however, public attitudes are more broadly positive. A new Buendía y Márquez survey conducted May 15-21 finds the Mexican public is as likely as the American public to expect the World Cup will be successful (73% US, 71% Mexico) and economically beneficial (77% Mexico, 72% US). But Mexicans are significantly more likely to say that the World Cup will make their country look like an attractive place to visit (76%, vs. 59% of Americans). And six in 10 Mexicans say that the World Cup will bring the three host countries closer together (59%, vs. 44% of Americans).   

Mexico will open the tournament on June 11 in a matchup against South Africa, while Canada and the United States play their first games on July 12 against Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Paraguay, respectively. Good luck, buena suerte, and bonne chance to the hosts!