When will we feel the World Cup buzz?

The FIFA World Cup is supposed to feel like the world catching a fever. This one, however, feels like a sore throat and a mild headache. Sounds dramatic, I know. This is still the World Cup. The football will definitely be good, players will score ridiculous goals, and there will be an outpouring of emotions.

However, the build-up to the 2026 World Cup feels strange. Not exactly dull, just oddly administrative. The conversation has shifted away from the football itself and towards other aspects of the tournament. People are increasingly asking questions about the visa process, the half-time shows, and the inclusion of country music in a World Cup anthem. Basically, the football isn’t the problem; the packaging is.

Let's start with the scale. This World Cup will have 48 teams, 104 matches, and 16 host cities across Canada, Mexico, and the United States. That is historic, and it’s beautiful that more countries are getting to dream. Football shouldn’t belong only to the usual suspects.

While this does offer more teams a path to glory, the new format of the tournament may not be as clear to casual fans. It has 12 groups of four, which is followed by a round of 32. Alongside the winners and runners-up of each group, only eight of the best third-placed teams will go through. I am not looking forward to explaining any of this to my uncle, who is a little too nostalgic about Maradona.

Next is the financial aspect. The 2026 tournament is the first men's World Cup to use dynamic pricing for ticket sales, according to The Guardian. This basically means that prices can rise based on demand. Fans will be able to purchase group stage tickets for just USD 60. In contrast, the price for the most exclusive seats will go as high as USD 6,730 for the final match-up. It is also worth noting that fans will be offered the chance to buy tickets based on a lottery, known as "The Visa Presale Draw".

Of course, most of us in Bangladesh were never going to casually fly to America for a group-stage match anyway. Prices, however, still affect mood. The World Cup is supposed to feel like a public festival, even for people watching from far away. When the loudest pre-tournament stories are about ticket prices, resale fees, hotel rates, and transport costs, the romance has to fight through a checkout page.

There is also a lot of scepticism regarding what the fans are referring to as the "Super Bowlification" of the World Cup. AP reported that the final will include a Super Bowl-style halftime show headlined by Madonna, Shakira, and BTS. All these artists are, undoubtedly, superstars. Yet, the decision to feature a half-time show for the World Cup final feels as though an American sporting tradition has been transposed without sparing much thought behind it.  

That’s the part that makes people uneasy. The stadiums will probably be louder than the internet currently admits. The concern is that the World Cup is being framed less as football culture and more as premium event culture: surge pricing, hospitality packages, NFL stadium conversions, controlled (and paid) fan zones, and spectacle piled on spectacle.

Most of us are going to watch the tournament from thousands of kilometres away. But that doesn't mean that we are not emotionally invested. World Cup nights here mean sleep deprivation, arguments, jerseys, and unearned overwhelming emotions. That’s the charm. The World Cup has always been long-distance love for us. Only this time, the distance feels as though it has been mired in bureaucracy.

Maybe everything will change once the ball rolls in Mexico. Maybe the football will overwhelm the awkwardness, as it usually does. Maybe one ridiculous match will make all this complaining look silly. That’s the thing about the beautiful game; it can be over-commercialised, over-managed, and still make you scream at a screen like an unpaid assistant coach.

But for now, the vibes are off, not because nobody cares, but because it has been forced to manifest in the form of concern. The World Cup has not lost its magic; it has met the final boss of capitalism.

References:

1. FIFA. (January 8, 2026). When and where is the FIFA World Cup 2026 being held?
2. FIFA. (December 8, 2025). What is the format for the FIFA World Cup 2026 tournament?
3. Inside FIFA. (December 6, 2025). FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Draw's "second half" produces full match schedule.
4. The Guardian. (September 3, 2025). Fifa says 2026 World Cup tickets will start at $60 but dynamic pricing looms.
5. AP News. (May 14, 2026). FIFA announces Super Bowl-style World Cup final halftime show featuring Madonna, Shakira and BTS.
6. AP News. (May 12, 2026). US hotel operators say promised boon from hosting World Cup hasn't materialized yet.
7. The Daily Star. (November 19, 2022). The inviolable duopoly within Bangladesh fanbase.

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