The World Cup 2026

Behind the Glitz and Glamour,
the Uneasy Relationship Between Sport and Global Capitalism

By Dr Ibrahim Alladin

For months, the passion and excitement surrounding the world’s biggest sporting showpiece have been building. Then came the opening ceremonies in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, the three host nations of the FIFA World Cup 2026. Each country offered a display of local colour, national pride, cultural performance, and global entertainment. Internationally acclaimed artists performed before packed stadiums and television audiences stretching across continents. The spectacle was dazzling, carefully choreographed, and commercially irresistible. Yet behind the glitz and glamour of the World Cup lies a more complicated story: one about money, power, labour, inequality, environmental pressure, racism, and the uneasy relationship between sport and global capitalism. Behind this spectacle, there is a different reality.

More Than a Sporting Event

The 2026 World Cup is historic in scale. It is the first tournament to be jointly hosted by three countries and the first to feature 48 teams, expanding it beyond the familiar 32-team structure. With 104 matches staged across 16 host cities, it represents the largest World Cup ever organised (FIFA, 2026a). FIFA presents this expansion as a celebration of inclusion: more countries, more players, more fans, and more opportunities for nations that have historically struggled to reach the finals. In emotional terms, that argument has power. For smaller footballing nations, qualification can create a sense of unity and recognition that goes far beyond the pitch. Cape Verde and Curacao are examples.

However, the tournament is also a vast commercial machine. The World Cup is not simply a sporting event; it is an industry. Broadcast rights, sponsorship deals, merchandise, hospitality packages, ticket sales, tourism campaigns, and advertising contracts transform football passion into global revenue. The language of unity often travels alongside the language of profit. This tension is at the heart of the 2026 tournament. While fans see flags, goals, and unforgettable moments, corporations and governing bodies see markets, data, audiences, and returns on investment. Behind the scenes, political maneuvering and leverage go beyond the fraternity that FIFA seems to promote. To host the tournament, several million dollars are spent. For governments and local organisers, the World Cup is marketed as an investment in image and economic activity. In short, the World Cup is big business.

FIFA: A Giant Global Network

FIFA, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association, is the global governing body of football and one of the most influential sporting organisations in the world. Founded in 1904, FIFA is responsible for organising major international competitions, most notably the FIFA World Cup, which has become the most widely watched sporting event on the planet. Its role goes beyond arranging tournaments; it also sets rules, supports football development, promotes refereeing standards, and works with national associations across different continents. FIFA presents football as capable of bringing people together regardless of nationality, culture, or background. However, the organisation has also faced criticism over issues such as commercialisation, governance, transparency, corruption allegations, labour rights, and the political impact of hosting mega-events. While FIFA has helped transform football into a truly global sport, it has also turned the game into a powerful business involving sponsorships, broadcasting rights, tourism, and national image-making. Therefore, FIFA represents both the beauty and complexity of modern football: it celebrates unity and sporting excellence, but it also reflects the economic and political forces that shape global sport today. No other sporting event captures the global imagination quite like the World Cup.

Racism and Political Interference

World Cup 2026 witnessed racism and political interference at the highest level. Racism and the colonial mentality go together. The mentality to dominate is a feature of colonialism. In sports, racism does not go unnoticed. Despite FIFA’s promotion of the beautiful game, racist behaviour,  racial slurs and slogans exist on and off the field, mostly directed towards players of African origin. Many players have openly stated that they are victims of racism. The racist remarks of Paraguayan Senator Celeste Amarilla targeting Kylian Mbappé, the captain of the French team, are one example. Kylian added, “I will never allow people like her the freedom to spread their hatred and racism across the world.” Players of African origin have pleaded to stop racist behaviour on and off the field, which confirms that the beautiful game is not as beautiful as FIFA claims. 

During the tournament, President Donald Trump got FIFA to reverse a decision made on the field. This direct political interference casts doubts on FIFA’s integrity and impartiality.  UEFA, the European Football Union, which has been at loggerheads with FIFA over several issues, strongly criticised FIFA’s decision, calling it “unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable”. In this case, political clout scored. Some claim that Egypt was robbed against Argentina due to poor refereeing. If the President of Egypt calls the President of FIFA to investigate the result, will he abide? Unlikely, Egypt does not have the same political clout. The win is desirable because Lionel Messi is a prime marketing personality; he fits the image of FIFA, unlike many talented ‘black’ players. FIFA has not attempted to ban Israel for committing genocide in Gaza, while Russia was sanctioned for invading Ukraine. Even in football, there is a double standard.

Labour, Migration, and Human Rights

Behind every World Cup are thousands of workers whose names rarely appear in headlines. They build temporary structures, clean hotels, drive buses, prepare food, guard entrances, sell merchandise, manage crowds, and maintain stadium facilities. Many of these jobs are temporary, physically demanding, and low-paid. Migrant workers may be especially vulnerable because they can face insecure legal status, language barriers, limited bargaining power, or dependence on subcontractors. In the celebration of football, their contribution is essential but often invisible.

FIFA has developed sustainability and human rights strategies for the 2026 tournament, and the inclusion of such commitments in the bidding process marks progress (FIFA, 2026b). However, written policies are only meaningful if they lead to enforceable protections. Human rights advocates have raised concerns about labour rights, discrimination, policing, protest, migration enforcement, trafficking risks, and the treatment of vulnerable communities in host cities (Human Rights Watch, 2026; Amnesty International, 2026). These concerns do not mean the tournament should be rejected outright. Rather, they remind us that a World Cup is not isolated from the society in which it is staged. It can either expose existing inequalities or worsen them.

The slogan that football unites the world is inspiring, but unity cannot be limited to spectators waving flags. It must include the dignity of workers, the safety of women and children, the rights of migrants, the freedom of journalists, and the ability of communities to express concerns without intimidation. If the World Cup depends on invisible labour and public cooperation, then justice for those people must be part of its legacy. The environmental impact of putting on such an event cannot be undermined. The sheer scale of consumption of goods and services contributes to environmental pressure. (FIFA, 2026b).

The Fans: Celebration  and Exclusion

For ordinary fans, the World Cup is a dream. It is the chance to witness history, support a national team, and participate in a global festival. Yet the cost of that dream can be high. Tickets, travel, accommodation, food, and merchandise may place live attendance beyond the reach of many working-class supporters. Football was built by communities, but mega-event football often caters to tourists, sponsors, and wealthier consumers. Fan zones may offer public participation, but the most privileged experiences are increasingly reserved for those who can afford premium access. The cost of tickets is exorbitant. The structure surrounding the game is increasingly corporate.

This creates a painful contradiction. The World Cup depends emotionally on ordinary people: their songs, colours, memories, and loyalty. But commercially, it often excludes them. Behind the glamour of packed stadiums lies the reality that many lifelong supporters will watch from afar, not by choice, but because the economics of global football have moved beyond them.

The 2026 World Cup has the potential to be remembered as a turning point. It could demonstrate that a mega-event can be large, profitable, inclusive, and accountable. It could set stronger standards for labour rights, accessibility, environmental reporting, and community benefit. But this will not happen automatically. It requires pressure from civil society, transparency from organisers, responsibility from governments, and ethical choices from corporations. Without these, the tournament may be remembered mainly as another example of spectacle overpowering substance.

Looking Beyond the Glamour

The FIFA World Cup 2026 will give the world unforgettable moments. There will be brilliant goals, heroic saves, emotional anthems, dramatic upsets, and images that will live for generations. It will remind us why football matters: because it can connect people across borders and create shared emotion on a scale few human activities can match. The beauty of the game should not be dismissed, but it has an ugly side that has to be cleaned up.

But neither should the beauty of the game blind us. Behind the glitz and glamour, there are hidden issues. The World Cup is both a celebration and a business, both a cultural festival and a political economy. To love football honestly is not to ignore these contradictions, but to face them. The true measure of the 2026 World Cup will not only be who lifts the trophy on 19 July 2026. It will also be whether the tournament leaves behind more than memories: whether it leaves dignity, fairness, accountability, and a better model for the future of global sport.

Sources
Amnesty International. (2026). Humanity must win: Defending rights, tackling repression at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/ior10/0837/2026/en/
FIFA. (2025). FIFA-WTO study estimates USD 47 billion economic output from FIFA Club World Cup and FIFA World Cup in the US. https://inside.fifa.com/organisation/media-releases/fifa-wto-study-estimates-usd-47-billion-economic-output-from-fifa-club-world
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FIFA. (2026b). FIFA World Cup 26 Sustainability and Human Rights Strategy. https://inside.fifa.com/tournament-organisation/world-cup-2026-sustainability-strategy
FIFA. (2026c). FIFA World Cup 2026 stadiums in Canada, Mexico and the USA. https://www.fifa.com/en/tournaments/mens/worldcup/canadamexicousa2026/articles/world-cup-2026-stadiums-fifa-soccer-football-mexico-usa-canada
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