Doubts about the 2026 FIFA World Cup’s success have always been present. Add to the fact that the USA, not traditionally known for its passion for soccer, has been one of the concerns. And to compound that, the ticket prices have presented a challenge for many fans who may not, after all, get to experience soccer’s biggest carnival the way they intended. However, Alexi Lalas has many reasons to believe that not only will the World Cup next year be a success, but it will be a massive hit.

In his latest episode of the ‘State of the Union’ podcast, released on October 9, Lalas rejected the concerns of some of the veterans who were worried the World Cup in America would flop. “I think that next summer, the 2026 FIFA World Cup is going to be an incredible and historic success in the same way that 1994 was and the same way that 1994 is looked at for what it did on the field and what it did off the field – numbers, revenue, all that stuff.”

He continued, “I think in the moment, and I certainly think as we get further and further away from it, it will be looked at as a seminal moment, not just for American soccer, but for World Cups.” Well, obviously, it is the biggest World Cup ever,  quite literally. For the first time, 48 teams are participating in the finals. So, that will be a groundbreaking point in the history of soccer. As Alexi Lalas said at one point in the podcast, “More teams, more stories, more interests, I think something for everybody.” But Lalas also mentioned how there are many other elements at play here, which will make the 2026 World Cup in America a success.

“I’ve said this before, having a president that is invested in the World Cup and has a vested interest in the World Cup succeeding is a good thing,” the former USMNT defender said. “It is going to be on his watch. It will reflect on him as it will reflect on all of us and our country.” This brought him to his next point about the host country being the USA. “I think as far as a World Cup host country, I think the U.S. is still infinitely more desirable as a place to travel to for visitors,” Lalas said.

But he was even more confident that soccer now has a substantial fanbase in the nation, which will drive the World Cup success. “Even if nobody decided to come here for the World Cup, the U.S. has a built-in population and a soccer audience that could fill all of the stadiums,” the former LA Galaxy defender said on the podcast. “And you look at the different ethnic communities that we have and the history that we have. I mean, who wasn’t together this summer watching the Turkey game or the U.S. versus South Korea game? The list goes on and on and on. That is built in.”

In fact, he mentioned the curiosity about the sport that was seen in the USA in 1994 has grown to create “a soccer culture that much better understands and appreciates what is coming the next summer.” And it is also a way for the people of the nation to unite under the Star-Spangled Banner. “I think Americans and people in general right now are looking for something that does provide a kind of escape and something that unites us as a country in a unique international way,” Alexi Lalas said. “We’ve seen it in baseball recently, we’ve seen it in hockey recently, and I think the World Cup is going to do that.”

He also thinks that FIFA has a vested interest in making the World Cup a success as the revenues from the 2026 tournament go into the FIFA budget, “so they’re going to do everything to make sure that they hit those revenue goals and that it is successful,” Lalas explained. And the other stakeholders, be it the government, the businesses, the entertainment or media industries, it is an opportunity for everyone to promote themselves, which will translate to a successful World Cup.

Also, how can one even think that the 2026 World Cup will flop? It is the great nation’s 250th birthday. “I think that the 250th birthday of the greatest country in the world, I think there’s some synergy and some opportunity that will, I think, enhance the events that are already scheduled, but kind of around the World Cup,” Lalas went on. “It’s what is ultimately going to be a summer of celebration with the birthday of the United States.” The 4th of July is right during the World Cup, which will be held from June 11 to July 19.

And Alexi Lalas left with one last message. “I think, you know, maybe the most important reason as to why next summer is going to be a success – we’re going to be involved, my friend. We’re going to make it so,” the Fox Sports analyst concluded. Well, the points he has made have a lot of substance. Yet, how can we ignore the ticket price problems being faced by the fans themselves?

Alexi Lalas’ optimism doesn’t address the ticket price outcry

Most of the points made above have their roots in the fans who breathe life into the sport. And Lalas did speak about the fanbase being big enough in the USA itself to fill the stadiums. But with the ticket prices being so exorbitant, it has left everyone complaining about whether the World Cup is accessible for all the fans, irrespective of their financial stature, or just the exclusive few with ultra-deep pockets.

The cheapest ticket for the final at the MetLife Stadium, New Jersey, was priced at $2,030. To give you a comparative understanding, the lowest price for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil was around $150 (around $344.40 when adjusted for inflation); in 2018, in the 2022 Qatar World Cup, it was about $600 (around $653 inflation-adjusted). “$2,000 dollars for the cheapest final ticket is unacceptable,” Thomas Concannon from the England Fans’ Embassy has exclaimed, according to The Guardian.

The cheapest ticket price for the group stage games was reported to be $60, which gave the fans hope. But once the tickets started going on sale in the first trench of the Visa Presale Draw on September 10, the reality of exclusion hit the fans. A handful of Category 4 tickets, seats which belonged to the farthest corner of the stadium, and on the top-most tier, had a $60 price. The rest mostly ranged in hundreds of dollars, with the average ticket price for the group stage matches estimated to be around $305.

The USMNT’s first match in the World Cup at the SoFi Stadium has ticket prices ranging from $560 to $2735. So, even though Alexi Lalas speaks so proudly of the ethnic diversity in his country that would lead to the fans gathering up to fill the stadiums, these kinds of ticket prices speak of an exclusionary outcome, which can kill the growth of soccer in the US. And all this is before the dynamic pricing sets in.

The dynamic pricing strategy drives the prices up or down depending on the demand. And the fact that 4.5 million fans turned up for the Visa Presale Draw round, which made only a million tickets on offer, has sent the prices spiralling out of control. In addition to that, the US-influenced decision by FIFA to allow a resale market without any price cap has led the Final tickets to be sold for $38,000!! In short, this FIFA World Cup can definitely be said to be a rich man’s sporting event.

Be it journalists Tom Bogert, Aaron West, or former NWSL player Jen Beattie, everyone is upset with FIFA’s cash-grab strategy. This keeps the real fans away from the stadiums, the ones who bring the vibrant atmosphere that pushes the players to create immortal soccer moments.