The FIFA World Cup 2026 is officially underway, but the football itself is only part of the story. A series of significant concerns — ranging from extreme heat and soaring costs to environmental impact and travel restrictions — are casting a shadow over the tournament.

BBC Analysis Editor Ros Atkins has examined these challenges in detail, outlining the practical and political obstacles that organisers, fans, and players must navigate over the coming weeks.

Heat and the environment

The summer temperatures expected across several host cities raise serious questions about player welfare and fan safety. Scheduling and stadium cooling measures are among the logistical issues that officials have been forced to address ahead of the competition.

Beyond the heat, the tournament's environmental footprint is under scrutiny. The sheer scale of a 48-team, multi-city, multi-nation event generates concerns about carbon emissions, waste, and the long-term sustainability of hosting infrastructure on this scale.

The cost of the tournament

Staging the FIFA World Cup 2026 across three nations — the United States, Canada, and Mexico — comes with an enormous price tag. Infrastructure upgrades, security operations, and the logistics of moving teams and supporters across an entire continent have driven costs to levels that are drawing public scrutiny in each host country.

For travelling fans, the expense of attending matches is another pressing concern. Flights, accommodation, and match tickets across three countries represent a financial commitment that many supporters will find difficult to meet.

Travel restrictions

Access to the tournament is not straightforward for every fan. Travel restrictions and visa requirements — particularly for supporters coming from parts of Africa, Latin America, and Asia — threaten to limit the diversity of the crowd and have prompted debate about who the World Cup is truly accessible to.

These questions of inclusion and accessibility are ones that FIFA will face throughout the tournament, as fans around the world — including millions across Africa — follow the action from afar.