The China Mail - Anxiety, anticipation as World Cup one-month countdown begins

A record 48 teams and millions of fans are set to descend on the United States, Canada and Mexico for the first ever World Cup co-hosted by three nations.

The sprawling, nearly six-week-long spectacle kicks off at Mexico City's iconic Estadio Azteca on June 11 before culminating in the final at New Jersey's 82,500-seat MetLife Stadium on July 19.

Yet a turbulent build-up has meant the 23rd edition of the World Cup risks feeling like a morning-after headache before the party has even started, with a potent cocktail of affordability concerns, politics and conflict already souring the mood.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino insists the pre-tournament unease is overblown, dismissing the tide of downbeat headlines as "negative press."

"The truth of the matter is that it's very difficult to find something negative around this World Cup," Infantino told a business conference in Beverly Hills this week.

But Infantino's bullish optimism has not been broadly shared around the football world.

- 'Extortionate' tickets -

The skyrocketing cost of tickets for the tournament has triggered a global backlash which has left FIFA and Infantino scrambling to manage the public relations fallout.

Fan organization Football Supporters Europe (FSE) has branded the World Cup pricing structure as "extortionate" and a "monumental betrayal", citing ticket prices that have put the tournament -- expected to help generate $13 billion for FIFA -- out of reach for many.

The most expensive ticket for the final in 2022 cost around $1,600 at face value; in 2026 the most expensive face value ticket being sold by FIFA now weighs in at an eye-watering $32,970.

Infantino says the prices are appropriate for the United States, which will host the bulk of the tournament's fixtures.

"We have to look at the market -- we are in the market in which entertainment is the most developed in the world. So we have to apply market rates," Infantino said.

FIFA has reported more than 500 million requests for tickets, compared to 50 million combined for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments.

However despite claims that the tournament is a sellout, seats for many games -- including the United States' opener against Paraguay in Los Angeles on June 12 -- remain available on secondary ticket market sites.

Even staunch Infantino ally Trump has balked at the cost, reacting with surprise this week when informed of the $1,000 price tag for the USA clash with Paraguay.

"I did not know that number," Trump told the New York Post. "I would certainly like to be there, but I wouldn't pay it either, to be honest with you."

- 'Exclusion and fear'? -

As fans mull the cost of watching the World Cup, other critics have zeroed in on the feverish political climate in the United States, which is hosting 78 of the tournament's 104 games.

The re-election of Trump to the White House has upended the 2026 tournament's initial billing as a "Unity Bid" that would showcase the harmonious relationship between the three North American co-hosts.

Since returning to office, Trump has repeatedly talked about making Canada a "51st state" of the United States while launching a trade war with both neighbours.

Human Rights Watch has said the World Cup risks being defined by "exclusion and fear" due to Trump's crackdowns on immigration, demonstrations and press freedom, while Amnesty International warned the tournament could become a "stage for repression."

The US-Israel military strikes launched against Iran in February meanwhile have sent shockwaves through the global economy, with the World Bank warning the conflict in the Middle East could tip millions into hunger.

- 'Iran will play' -

The war also sparked uncertainty about Iran's participation in the World Cup. It is the first time in history a host has been in a military conflict with a participating nation directly before the tournament.

Trump initially suggested Iran withdraw from the tournament, for their "own life and safety."

However FIFA supremo Infantino is adamant that Iran, who are scheduled to play their three group matches in the United States having seen their proposal that they be moved to Mexico rejected, will take part as planned.

"Of course Iran will be participating at the FIFA World Cup 2026," Infantino told the FIFA Congress in Vancouver on April 30.

"And of course, Iran will play (in) the United States of America."

Trump, who hopes to reap political dividends from the World Cup ahead of this year's midterm elections, subsequently said he was "OK" with Iran's presence at the World Cup.

FIFA and Infantino are banking on the controversies being forgotten when the on-field action gets under way and the World Cup serves up its trademark feast of drama and footballing brilliance.

Defending champions Argentina and Lionel Messi head into the tournament among the favourites, alongside European champions Spain, 2018 World Cup winners France and England, desperately chasing a first major tournament win since 1966.

At the other end of the scale, the expanded World Cup will welcome several nations for the first time, notably Curacao -- the smallest country by population to ever play in the tournament -- and Cape Verde.

S.Davis--ThChM