Former England forward Ian Wright has raised strong concerns about the organisation of the 2026 World Cup, questioning what he described as a lack of open criticism over the challenges facing the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The expanded competition, which is set to begin on Thursday evening, will be the first World Cup to feature 48 teams. The opening match is scheduled to see hosts Mexico face South Africa.
Speaking publicly, Wright highlighted what he believes are significant logistical and financial drawbacks associated with the tournament, including the rising cost of attending matches.
He said:
“There are the expensive tickets, they are the most expensive tickets ever, the expensive accommodation, the extremely expensive transportation… these things need to be said.”
Wright also drew attention to recent reports involving travel and entry restrictions affecting individuals connected to the tournament, including referees, journalists and supporters.
His comments followed reporting that Somali referee Omar Artan had been denied entry into the United States, with his name later removed from FIFA’s list of officials for the competition.
Describing the wider situation, Wright added:
“I just read that the Somali referee was not allowed in. Every few hours there is a new story, a story about fans who were barred, about players who were barred, about officials who were barred, journalists who were barred, and now referees.”
He questioned whether such circumstances were appropriate for football’s biggest tournament, asking:
“Is this really how the hosts treat the greatest game, the biggest competition in the world? Is this how they behave?”
The former Arsenal striker also compared the current discourse surrounding the 2026 tournament to the build-up to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, suggesting that media scrutiny has been uneven.
According to Wright, Qatar faced intense criticism in the years leading up to the tournament, whereas he believes similar attention is not being given to the issues he sees emerging ahead of the 2026 edition.
He went on to express sympathy for football supporters in the United States, saying many had looked forward to hosting the World Cup for years but could now feel embarrassed by the negative headlines surrounding preparations.
Wright concluded his remarks by describing the tournament in stark terms, saying:
“This is the World Cup, this is the Chaos World Cup. The team that wins the title, whoever it is, has to go through some serious chaos to achieve it.”
The 2026 World Cup, jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, is expected to be the largest in history, but concerns over costs, logistics and access continue to generate debate in the build-up to kick-off.
