CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Lifelong soccer fan Victor Dumois expressed concern about the United States co-hosting the 2026 World Cup after attending a recent Club World Cup match in Miami Gardens, Florida.
“I think after the Copa America, a weird phenomenon has occurred here,” said Dumois, who is from Spain. “There’s people that don’t like the World Cup being in the United States.”
The title game of last year’s Copa America — the championship tournament for South American men’s soccer teams was held in the U.S., with the Americans among the special guest teams but failing to advance beyond group play — was a security nightmare, with overheated and ticketless fans breaking down the barriers to get inside Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. The game was played eventually, although some paying customers never were able to get to their seats because they were occupied.
Some cited the debacle as one example of how unprepared the U.S. is to host the biggest tournament in men’s soccer for the second time. The U.S. hosted the 1994 World Cup, when the quadrennial event was a 24-team event; the field for the 2026 World Cup will be double that size, although Canada and Mexico will host some matches.
Fast-forward to this summer and the 32-team Club World Cup hosted solely in the United States. Dumois said security was tight this time around — almost to a fault.